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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: patient · ground · leaves · spell · plane · lie · scale · deal

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ground — crushed

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