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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: court · wax · spring · press · pound · charge · hide · leaves

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — in control
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. spring — the season
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. court — of law
  16. spring — of water
  17. court — of a king
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. press — a publisher
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spring — a coil

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