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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: ruler · cabinet · tube · stand · mouse · wax · kick · charge

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — a price
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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