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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: roll · pit · root · file · straw · temple · ruler · tear

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — of a word
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a list
  8. tear — from crying
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pit — a hole
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tear — to rip
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. file — a tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pit — in a race
  23. root — the cause
  24. temple — a place of worship

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