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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 116 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
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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: staff · clip · degree · cabinet · perch · cell · leaves · press

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cell — in biology
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. perch — the fish
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. clip — for paper
  17. press — to push
  18. cell — a phone
  19. clip — to cut
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. clip — a video
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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