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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 116 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: saw · nail · lie · shower · last · root · cap · pitch

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lie — to recline
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. root — the cause
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — final
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a lid
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cap — of ice
  16. last — finally
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. root — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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