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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: ruler · fork · mouse · straw · roll · hand · root · deal

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. root — the cause
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. roll — a list
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — in a road
  23. root — of a plant
  24. hand — part of the body

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