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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 116 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 · straw · pitcher · staff · ruler · wound · bear · lie

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — the cause
  24. bear — the animal

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