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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.

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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lean — to bend
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — thin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. degree — an amount
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. perch — for a bird

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