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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 120 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: chest · calf · bowl · stem · wax · suit · drill · degree

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chest — of your body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. drill — army training
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. suit — clothes
  22. degree — an amount
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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