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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · mouse · row · rash · land · game · rest · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rash — hasty
  3. land — a country
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rash — a series
  6. game — a match
  7. row — a line
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. land — ground
  11. lean — to bend
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lean — thin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — to come down
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mouse — for a computer

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