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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: land · bowl · rash · lie · hand · toast · rest · branch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — a series
  8. rest — a break
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. toast — bread
  20. hand — help
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. rash — hasty

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