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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.

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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: kid · deal · bowl · bore · plane · toast · stick · mine

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bore — to tire
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. toast — bread
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. kid — child
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bowl — a dish

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