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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 120 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: racket · straw · root · ruler · drill · rock · lean · cell

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. drill — army training
  3. root — of a word
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — the tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rock — a stone
  9. root — of a plant
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cell — in biology
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cell — a phone
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — thin
  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