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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: craft · tear · degree · trunk · stem · ball · coach · calf

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tear — to rip
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a great time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — a young animal

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