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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: nail · chest · dip · drill · calf · capital · ball · root

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a great time
  4. capital — a city
  5. dip — to sink
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a word
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. capital — money
  24. chest — of your body

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