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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: cap · foot · wave · degree · hand · tear · perch · safe

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hand — help
  22. cap — a lid
  23. tear — from crying
  24. foot — a measure

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