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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: drill · chest · calf · bear · fan · clip · trunk · foot

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. clip — a video
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. clip — for paper
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. foot — a measure
  21. clip — to cut
  22. drill — army training
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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