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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 116 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: rash · court · cue · lie · bore · can · cold · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of a king
  3. wax — to grow
  4. court — for sport
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. court — of law
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rash — a series
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. can — to be able to

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