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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: fall · calf · tear · mark · trunk · swing · ball · mine

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. swing — music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — the season
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — to pay attention

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