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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: wound · mug · ruler · root · board · drill · bark · straw

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. board — a committee
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — a face
  6. drill — army training
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — the cause
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. root — of a word
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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