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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 120 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: perch · degree · coach · present · straw · temple · face · fan

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. perch — the fish
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — there
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — from a university
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — an amount
  15. present — the time now
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — a gift
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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