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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: straw · kick · cap · ruler · prune · nail · root · board

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — the cause
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — in football
  10. cap — of ice
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a committee
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. root — of a word

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