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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.

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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: wax · snap · stem · club · mouse · row · court · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. row — a line
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. club — for dancing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. court — of a king
  21. snap — to click
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — to succeed

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