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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — the fish
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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