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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · can · hide · degree · wax · bear · spell · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. degree — an amount
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fall — the season
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — to drop

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