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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.

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: club · nail · wax · stand · fan · rule · wound · court

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. club — for golf
  14. stand — to bear
  15. club — a group
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. club — for dancing
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — for sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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