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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.

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: lie · net · spell · lean · rush · tear · fine · saw

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spell — letters
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — all right
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. lean — thin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — a thrill

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