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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: nail · root · season · lash · race · cap · toast · sharp

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a word
  5. race — humankind
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. race — the arms race
  11. root — the cause
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. race — a contest
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — bread
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — an eyelash

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