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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: ruler · wound · squash · branch · craft · root · trunk · straw

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — a skill
  5. root — of a word
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wound — an injury
  8. craft — boats
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. squash — the sport
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. squash — to crush
  24. root — of a plant

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