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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: degree · file · ruler · staff · wave · fan · cabinet · mug

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — a face
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. file — a document
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. staff — employees
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ruler — for measuring

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