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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: shower · ruler · arm · straw · squash · hide · present · root

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — there
  4. shower — rain
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. present — a gift
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — the cause
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. squash — to crush
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — of a plant
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. present — the time now
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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