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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. firm — decided
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of a king
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a city
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — of law
  20. wax — to grow
  21. capital — money
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wake — before a funeral

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