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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: degree · lie · leaves · scale · arm · bay · wake · stick

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — in music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bay — a horse colour

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