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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 · mine · straw · deal · mark · saw · mate · leaves

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mate — a partner
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — to breed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — for digging

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