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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 120 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: bore · court · wax · nail · cell · chair · squash · mouse

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. court — of law
  13. chair — a leader
  14. court — for sport
  15. cell — a phone
  16. court — of a king
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mouse — for a computer

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