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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: pit · hide · cap · chip · nail · wound · tear · root

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — the cause
  23. tear — from crying
  24. hide — to keep secret

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