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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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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: bound · cold · perch · leaves · dip · firm · bulb · degree

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cold — an illness
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bound — tied together
  13. dip — to sink
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bound — certain
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. perch — for a bird
  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