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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.

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: arm · hide · spring · cap · root · season · straw · nail

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — a coil
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. spring — the season
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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