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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: trunk · board · bay · mate · toast · last · degree · hand

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — to breed
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. last — finally
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hand — in cards
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hand — help
  12. toast — bread
  13. board — to get on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. board — a committee
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. last — to go on
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mate — a friend

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