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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 · rash · degree · tear · calf · leaves · file · fine

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. file — a document
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tear — to rip
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fine — all right
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — a penalty

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