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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: plane · foot · leaves · saw · deal · field · toast · patient

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. plane — a tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — for sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. foot — a measure
  14. toast — bread
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. deal — to handle
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. field — a subject

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