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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
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 · drill · hide · perch · can · bay · mouse · trunk

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — for a computer

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