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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: trunk · wax · kick · sharp · mouse · calf · chest · bowl

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kick — in football
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chest — a box
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mouse — the animal

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