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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: roll · bound · face · perch · arm · bay · mate · degree

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. roll — a cake
  5. face — part of the head
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — certain
  11. perch — the fish
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. face — to point toward
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. degree — temperature
  18. roll — a list
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bound — obliged
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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