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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.

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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. prune — to trim
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — finally
  12. rule — a law
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — thin

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