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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: snap · wax · mate · suit · wind · court · face · arm

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. snap — to click
  4. court — of law
  5. face — to point toward
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. court — of a king
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wax — to grow
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mate — a friend
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. face — to confront
  24. arm — part of the body

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