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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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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: mouse · wax · date · snap · cabinet · arm · key · court

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — the most important part
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. court — of law
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of a king
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to click
  18. key — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wax — to grow

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