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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 120 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 · mate · wind · bulb · lie · mark · tube · mine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lie — to recline

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