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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: toast · wave · spring · lie · bank · stem · land · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — bread
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spring — the season
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — of a river
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — ground
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spring — of water
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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