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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.

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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: lean · prune · net · lie · bulb · wax · object · mine

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — an aim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — after costs
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — to protest
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — a thing
  23. net — in sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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