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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: mug · shower · game · tube · lie · ruler · press · wax

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wax — to grow
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — a container
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mug — a face
  12. shower — rain
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — newspapers
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. shower — to wash
  19. game — a match
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — to push
  23. mug — a cup
  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