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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
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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: bank · lie · degree · dip · rash · perch · date · lean

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — a series
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — temperature
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lie — to recline
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lean — to bend
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lean — thin
  24. dip — to dunk

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