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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: snap · mate · deal · bulb · wax · court · suit · tear

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — for sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. court — of a king
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mate — to breed
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. tear — from crying
  21. court — of law
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bulb — for light

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