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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: lean · degree · rash · file · can · mug · wind · bay

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rash — a series
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. degree — an amount
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a document
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wind — moving air

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