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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: lash · stock · tube · press · ball · mug · wax · ruler

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mug — a face
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stock — shares
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — a container
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stock — goods
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — for measuring

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