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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
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: swing · court · rule · rush · wax · charge · nail · cell

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. swing — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — for sport
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rule — government
  10. court — of a king
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — of law
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — in golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. rule — a law
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — a price
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — a thrill

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