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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: date · calf · tube · chest · degree · mark · rest · coach

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chest — a box
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — a grade
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rest — a break
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chest — of your body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — what's left

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