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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · court · wax · fork · mouse · rest · stand · hide

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — for sculpting

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