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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: degree · hide · cabinet · lean · file · nail · season · fan

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lean — thin
  5. season — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. file — a tool
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. file — a document

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