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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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Word bank
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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 · hand · object · rule · root · game · mate · fall

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. object — to protest
  7. fall — the season
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rule — a law
  11. mate — a friend
  12. root — the cause
  13. hand — in cards
  14. root — of a word
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rule — government
  21. game — a match
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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