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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: nail · root · rush · squash · face · deal · field · foot

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. deal — to handle
  15. face — to confront
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. field — a subject
  20. foot — a measure
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rush — hurry
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — a thrill

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