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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: calf · ground · trunk · stem · drill · lie · mug · ball

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — a position
  9. drill — army training
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mug — a face
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. calf — a young 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