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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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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 · bore · object · ruler · toast · deal · field · rash

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. toast — bread
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. plane — a tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. rash — hasty
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — farmland
  15. object — a thing
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. object — an aim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. object — to protest
  22. bore — to drill
  23. field — for sport
  24. rash — a series

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