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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 · kid · rest · wave · court · fan · chair · pop

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. court — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — a break
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. court — of a king
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. court — of law
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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