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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: rest · stick · bore · roll · lean · net · land · craft

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — to tire
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — thin
  15. roll — a list
  16. land — to come down
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to drill
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — in sport

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