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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · leaves · court · lie · kid · press · cabinet · scale

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. court — for sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — to tease
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — newspapers
  16. court — of law
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kid — child
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — to go away
  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