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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · drill · can · ruler · straw · pitcher · row · spring

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a plant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. row — to paddle
  11. drill — army training
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. root — of a word
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — a line
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. can — a tin

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