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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: fine · last · lie · wound · land · straw · staff · rest

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wound — an injury
  4. last — final
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — to recline
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. staff — a stick
  17. land — ground
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — a break
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — employees

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