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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
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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: straw · staff · bound · file · fall · cap · last · degree

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — of ice
  9. last — finally
  10. fall — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. file — a document
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. degree — temperature
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. last — final
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — from a university
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a hat
  21. degree — an amount
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bound — obliged

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