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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: prune · foot · perch · rest · vault · arm · degree · lie

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — an amount
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rest — a break
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. foot — a measure
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. arm — part of the body

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