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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: degree · lie · fork · fan · current · arm · perch · coach

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — from a university
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lie — to recline
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — happening now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. current — electric
  24. lie — an untruth

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