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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: mate · fan · straw · root · firm · cell · ruler · arm

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mate — a friend
  6. root — the cause
  7. firm — a company
  8. cell — in biology
  9. firm — steady
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — of a word
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. arm — a part of something

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