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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 116 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: board · ruler · hide · root · branch · tube · snap · straw

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. branch — a division
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. root — of a word
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. snap — to click
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a committee
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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