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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.

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: coach · march · drill · bear · degree · dip · leaves · perch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. degree — temperature
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. drill — a practice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. march — the month
  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