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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: cue · pass · court · branch · spring · bore · wax · rash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. court — of law
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bore — to drill
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — of water
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spring — the season
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — a series
  23. cue — for pool
  24. court — of a king

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