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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: mug · snap · wax · court · net · hand · cue · press

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. court — of law
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — in sport
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hand — help
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to click
  14. court — of a king
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — to push
  19. mug — a face
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — for catching
  22. court — for sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. press — a publisher

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