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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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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 · degree · bay · root · mark · hide · toast · hand

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. degree — temperature
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. root — the cause
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a word
  11. degree — from a university
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a horse colour

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