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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: trunk · firm · march · degree · lean · nail · last · perch

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — temperature
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lean — to bend
  7. last — to go on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — final
  14. march — music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — finally
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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