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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.

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
YesNo
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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 · mine · rock · fine · file · lash · spell · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spell — a short time
  6. degree — an amount
  7. file — a tool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — music
  13. file — a document
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spell — magic
  18. rock — a stone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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