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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: root · face · nail · net · cap · hide · squash · pitcher

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cap — of ice
  6. face — to point toward
  7. net — in sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — after costs
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cap — a lid
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — for catching
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. squash — the sport
  20. face — to confront
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — part of the head

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