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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: calf · degree · chest · clip · pitcher · track · bulb · lie

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. track — to keep track
  15. clip — to cut
  16. degree — an amount
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — from a university
  22. track — a path
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a song

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