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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: mate · tube · lean · ruler · can · row · pitcher · lie

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a quarrel

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