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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: stand · leaves · nail · snap · spell · wax · hand · fan

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — magic
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — help

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