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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 120 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: stick · lean · lie · bark · hand · mug · net · ruler

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mug — a face
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hand — help
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — in sport

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