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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 · pop · wound · chip · craft · nail · root · tear

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tear — from crying
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — boats
  13. root — the cause
  14. chip — to eat
  15. root — of a word
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — soda
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. nail — on a finger
  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