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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: root · board · drill · current · wound · straw · branch · ruler

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — a division
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — of water
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wound — an injury
  14. root — the cause
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. current — happening now
  18. board — a committee
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — electric

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