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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: present · wax · firm · rule · tube · shower · ruler · lie

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — to recline
  8. present — there
  9. shower — to wash
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — to grow
  12. shower — rain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — government
  15. firm — decided
  16. present — a gift
  17. rule — a law
  18. firm — a company
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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