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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: firm · bowl · rest · wax · court · chest · coach · hide

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. court — of a king
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chest — a box
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — for sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — of law
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. coach — a trainer

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