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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
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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: trunk · stick · sharp · chip · degree · rush · foot · chest

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. degree — from a university
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chest — a box
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chest — of your body

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