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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.

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: bat · perch · sharp · rock · calf · degree · leaves · bay

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bat — the animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rock — a stone
  15. degree — from a university
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bat — in an idiom

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