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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: deal · foot · plane · drill · patient · mate · land · ball

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. land — ground
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — to come down
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. deal — to handle
  16. land — a country
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. foot — a measure

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