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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: mug · wax · net · rush · ruler · hand · mine · fall

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — the season
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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