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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hand — help
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — steady
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — in control
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. charge — a price
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. straw — a straw man

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