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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
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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 · fan · straw · press · court · mug · can · wax

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wax — to grow
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mug — to rob
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — of law
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. court — for sport
  12. press — to push
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mug — a face
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of a king
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hand — in cards

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