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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: lie · mate · row · wax · cell · tube · craft · ruler

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — a container
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mate — a partner
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — to paddle
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. craft — a skill
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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