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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: hand · court · wax · trunk · chair · mouse · firm · patient

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — of law
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — in cards
  17. court — of a king
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chair — a leader

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