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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 116 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: mark · wax · tube · net · rest · lie · content · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — a container
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. net — after costs
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — in sport
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — for catching
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rest — a break

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