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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.

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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
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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: plane · pop · can · lie · rule · mine · wax · stand

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pop — music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pop — to visit
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — an untruth

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