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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 · lean · arm · content · land · toast · object · rest

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — a tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. toast — bread
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. content — happy
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — a break
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. object — a thing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. content — the amount
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. object — an aim
  24. lean — to bend

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