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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · straw · bay · hide · can · fan · degree · file

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a line of people
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mug — a face
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mug — a cup
  18. degree — from a university
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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