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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: straw · court · press · charge · drill · wax · cap · foot

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. court — of a king
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cap — a lid
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. press — to push
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — for sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cap — of ice
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. foot — a measure
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. court — of law

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