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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
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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: net · lash · patient · lie · mark · land · foot · last

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. last — to go on
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. net — after costs
  6. land — to come down
  7. last — final
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — a country
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a trace
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mark — a grade
  22. land — ground
  23. net — in sport
  24. last — finally

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