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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: nail · root · tube · capital · scale · last · tear · mug

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. last — final
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mug — a face
  6. tear — from crying
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — to go on
  11. scale — in music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. tube — a container
  15. last — finally
  16. scale — size or range
  17. capital — money
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — the cause
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. capital — a city
  24. tear — from crying

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