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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 120 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: mine · lie · foot · clip · stand · wax · plane · wake

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — a tool
  16. foot — a measure
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. clip — a video
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — to grow
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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