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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: hand · perch · dip · degree · ruler · bore · safe · wave

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. hand — help
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bore — to drill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to sink

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