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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: roll · ruler · face · scale · band · root · straw · craft

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — boats
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a plant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. face — part of the head
  15. scale — size or range
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. scale — in music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. face — to point toward
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ruler — for measuring

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