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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 120 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: tear · ruler · fine · row · spring · fork · saw · rule

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rule — a law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spring — of water
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rule — government
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — the season
  13. tear — from crying
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fine — all right

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