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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: fan · swing · mug · lie · cap · wake · rule · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. swing — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wake — a trail
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rule — government
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mug — a face
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — to rule out

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