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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: last · calf · land · wave · mark · trunk · mouse · swing

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. last — finally
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. last — final
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. swing — to play on
  16. land — a country
  17. swing — in golf
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. last — to go on
  24. trunk — of a tree

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