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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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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 · mark · nail · degree · kick · cabinet · root · lash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. root — of a word
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. degree — from a university
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kick — in football
  20. degree — an amount
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. arm — part of the 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