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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.

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: snap · bear · leaves · spell · hand · stand · degree · rule

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — magic
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to click
  15. rule — government
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. spell — a short time
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — for spectators

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