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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: trunk · degree · rush · rest · content · kick · arm · craft

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. content — the amount
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. craft — boats
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — temperature
  18. craft — a skill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rush — hurry
  22. content — happy
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. degree — from a university

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