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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: degree · cell · lean · perch · press · temple · branch · club

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — to bend
  7. press — newspapers
  8. club — for golf
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cell — in biology
  11. club — a group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — to push
  19. degree — an amount
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. club — for dancing
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lean — thin

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