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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 · shower · stand · pass · wax · squash · charge · spring

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spring — of water
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — a price
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spring — a coil
  13. court — for sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. court — of law
  18. spring — the season
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pass — a permit
  24. court — of a king

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