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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: current · perch · field · file · ruler · branch · lash · degree

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — for sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — happening now
  8. perch — the fish
  9. degree — temperature
  10. file — a tool
  11. field — a subject
  12. file — a line of people
  13. field — farmland
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. file — a document
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — electric
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lash — an eyelash

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