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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 120 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: can · face · root · bulb · nail · straw · bat · staff

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. root — the cause
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. root — of a word
  15. bat — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. straw — dry grass

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