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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 116 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
468
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: rest · fan · net · snap · wax · court · can · mouse

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. net — in sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. court — for sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. court — of law
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — to grow
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. net — for catching

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