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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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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: mate · wax · snap · fall · pop · pass · foot · stick

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — the season
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — soda

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