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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.

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: branch · safe · cue · perch · plane · degree · wound · face

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cue — a hint
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cue — for pool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — a tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. degree — an amount
  20. face — to confront
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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