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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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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: deal · club · press · plane · ruler · saw · tear · kick

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. club — for golf
  6. deal — to handle
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — in football
  16. club — for dancing
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — a group
  24. plane — in geometry

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