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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: root · rest · nail · lie · tear · current · row · straw

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — a break
  7. current — happening now
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. root — of a word
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. root — of a plant
  19. row — a line
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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