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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: patient · trunk · rock · calf · degree · lean · can · chest

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chest — of your body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chest — a box
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chest — of your body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — temperature
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lean — thin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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