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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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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 · hand · stick · tear · root · foot · mug · wave

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. root — of a word
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — of a plant
  19. hand — help
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. root — the cause

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