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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 · coach · safe · arm · wax · land · rock

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — to come down
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — music
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wax — to grow

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