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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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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: mark · trunk · jam · swing · lie · bowl · tear · track

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. swing — music
  13. track — a path
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a song
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mark — a grade

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