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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: club · staff · plane · degree · calf · chest · craft · branch

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. degree — from a university
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chest — a box
  8. staff — employees
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — a division
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. staff — employees
  17. chest — of your body
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. club — a group
  20. chest — of your body
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. staff — a stick

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