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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · net · charge · wax · bore · press · race · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wax — to grow
  3. court — of a king
  4. charge — electricity
  5. race — humankind
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. court — of law
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. race — the arms race
  14. press — to push
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. race — a contest
  18. net — for catching
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — to tire
  24. press — a publisher

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