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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · pass · wax · mug · content · straw · court · spring

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. spring — the season
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mug — a face
  10. content — the amount
  11. stand — to bear
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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