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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 · rest · trunk · straw · coach · ruler · cabinet · lie

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. root — of a plant
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. root — of a word
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. root — the cause
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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