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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: deal · saw · ruler · pop · root · straw · mouse · kick

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. deal — to handle
  9. root — of a word
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kick — in football

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