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

Word bank: perch · rest · degree · rash · dip · temple · wake · snap

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — temperature
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. dip — to sink
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. snap — to click
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. perch — the fish
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — a break
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — from a university

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