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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: lie · ball · plane · net · wax · rush · mine · trunk

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — in sport
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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