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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: stand · court · trunk · stem · straw · charge · wax · mate

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — to breed
  10. court — for sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stem — to come from
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. court — of law

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