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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 · tube · lean · trunk · craft · present · chest · face

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lean — thin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — to bend
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. present — there
  18. craft — boats
  19. tube — a container
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. face — to point toward
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — part of the head

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