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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 · perch · trunk · fall · leaves · racket · cabinet · bound

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — certain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. degree — temperature
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — the season
  24. cabinet — ministers

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