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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: root · drill · saw · ruler · jam · kick · straw · last

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. last — final
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. root — the cause
  11. drill — army training
  12. root — of a word
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — a practice
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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