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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: face · lie · swing · perch · club · degree · ruler · dip

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. face — part of the head
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — in golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. swing — to play on
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. club — a group
  14. dip — to sink
  15. swing — music
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — the fish
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to confront

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