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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.

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: fine · last · snap · key · wound · pass · wax · leaves

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. snap — to click
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fine — all right
  6. wax — to grow
  7. last — final
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — an injury

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