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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.

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: mate · degree · pop · hide · mug · straw · bay · board

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pop — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — soda
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — a face
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. board — a committee
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. straw — a straw man

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