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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: deal · mug · press · lie · rule · tube · face · mouse

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mug — a cup
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rule — a law
  5. tube — a container
  6. rule — government
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — to confront
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. press — a publisher

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