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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: wax · fan · ruler · court · kick · present · wave · hand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — for sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kick — in football
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — help
  24. wax — in the ear

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