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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · root · shower · hide · temple · track · nail · bear

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — of a word
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — rain
  9. root — the cause
  10. track — a song
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. capital — a city
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. root — of a plant

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