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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: ruler · row · hand · straw · object · root · mate · bark

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mate — to breed
  3. object — an aim
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. root — the cause
  10. row — to paddle
  11. root — of a plant
  12. object — a thing
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — to shout
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. root — of a word
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. hand — in cards
  20. object — to protest
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — a line
  23. hand — help
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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