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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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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: lean · calf · perch · wake · toast · object · dip · degree

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. object — a thing
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wake — a trail
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. object — to protest
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lean — thin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — to bend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. toast — the most admired

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