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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 120 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
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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: hide · file · pitcher · mug · chair · nail · pass · straw

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mug — a cup
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mug — a face
  9. chair — a leader
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — a permit
  14. file — a tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. file — a line of people
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — animal skin

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