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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.

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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: ground · court · plane · arm · wake · net · bulb · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ground — crushed
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — a tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — for catching
  19. court — of a king
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — a position
  24. lie — to recline

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