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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · tear · band · lie · firm · sharp · bulb · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. band — a ring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. band — a music group
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com