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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 116 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
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: trunk · wake · clip · net · lie · mouse · last · lash

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — final
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. net — for catching
  6. last — finally
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — after costs
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. last — to go on
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wake — a trail

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