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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 116 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: spell · degree · bank · suit · wake · wound · game · perch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spell — magic
  7. perch — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. degree — temperature
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — letters
  18. degree — an amount
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. game — a match
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — a short time
  24. perch — for a bird

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