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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: ground · ruler · clip · rule · straw · lie · root · pitcher

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a word
  7. clip — for paper
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. clip — a video
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — dry grass

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