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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.

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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: file · cabinet · degree · net · hide · straw · bore · rock

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. net — for catching
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bore — to tire
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — after costs
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a line of people
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. net — in sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. degree — an amount
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. file — a tool

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