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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. deal — to handle
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bore — to tire
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bowl — a football final

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