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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.

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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: perch · bank · arm · object · calf · degree · leaves · safe

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. degree — temperature
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — to protest
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. object — an aim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. object — a thing
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — part of the body

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