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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: degree · lean · wake · toast · march · perch · net · stem

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. net — after costs
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. toast — bread
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — the fish
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. march — the month
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lean — to bend

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