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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: lean · roll · hand · land · toast · rest · present · last

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. present — there
  4. last — to go on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. last — finally
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lean — thin
  12. last — final
  13. hand — in cards
  14. present — the time now
  15. hand — help
  16. land — a country
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. land — to come down
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — ground
  23. present — a gift
  24. toast — bread

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