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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: mouse · firm · degree · sharp · roll · perch · fall · rash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. firm — decided
  3. fall — to drop
  4. firm — steady
  5. roll — a list
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rash — hasty
  8. perch — the fish
  9. roll — a cake
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — a series
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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