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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: cap · nail · lean · capital · march · squash · fall · root

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. capital — money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. root — the cause
  14. march — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. fall — the season
  18. squash — to crush
  19. root — of a word
  20. march — the month
  21. cap — a hat
  22. march — the month
  23. cap — of ice
  24. squash — the sport

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