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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: firm · ruler · clip · row · last · sharp · charge · tear

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. firm — steady
  4. charge — a price
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — in control
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. sharp — clever
  12. tear — from crying
  13. clip — for paper
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. charge — electricity
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. tear — to rip
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — a line
  24. last — finally

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