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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: mark · race · nail · degree · cap · drill · hide · craft

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. degree — temperature
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — a contest
  8. degree — an amount
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — a hat
  13. race — humankind
  14. mark — a trace
  15. drill — army training
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. race — the arms race
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cap — of ice

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