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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: root · coach · lie · rock · pitcher · straw · ruler · mate

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mate — a friend
  12. root — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. root — of a word

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