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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: land · stock · plane · rest · fine · last · lean · bore

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rest — a break
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — all right
  10. plane — a tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — shares
  18. lean — to bend
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. land — ground
  24. plane — in geometry

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