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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
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: plane · land · object · clip · trunk · lie · wax · mate

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. object — to protest
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. object — a thing
  10. clip — to cut
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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