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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
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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: jam · wax · ruler · snap · last · rash · net · mate

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. snap — to click
  6. mate — to breed
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — for catching
  11. rash — hasty
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — in sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — final
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. net — after costs
  24. last — finally

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