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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
468
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: cabinet · charge · wax · kid · wound · court · stand · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. court — for sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — a price
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of law
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. object — to protest
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — electricity
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — a thing

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