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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: charge · ruler · sharp · snap · bear · board · key · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bear — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. charge — electricity
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — in music
  13. board — to get on
  14. snap — to click
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. sharp — clever
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — a price
  24. board — a committee

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