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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 120 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: rush · pass · snap · cue · mouse · pop · wax · net

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — after costs
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pop — soda
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wax — in the ear

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