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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: kid · hand · hide · cabinet · mouse · nail · foot · degree

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — help
  3. degree — temperature
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — to tease
  8. hand — in cards
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kid — child
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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