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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 · rash · staff · object · wave · chair · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. degree — an amount
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. staff — a stick
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — a thing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — an aim
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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