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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.

Words on the sheet
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: perch · prune · patient · ground · rest · leaves · degree · rash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — an amount
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — hasty
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — crushed
  19. perch — the fish
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. degree — from a university
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — a sick person

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