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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 116 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: deal · firm · bore · mark · pound · saw · plane · mine

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. firm — steady
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. firm — a company
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mark — a grade
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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