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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.

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: foot · degree · perch · hide · season · leaves · band · row

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. foot — a measure
  4. degree — from a university
  5. row — to paddle
  6. degree — an amount
  7. season — in sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. band — a ring
  12. season — of the year
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. degree — temperature
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a music group
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. perch — the fish
  24. hide — to keep secret

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