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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: net · lash · lean · bulb · mouse · lie · trunk · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lean — thin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — for light

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