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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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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: bowl · net · rest · tear · deal · lash · patient · lie

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rest — a break
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — for catching
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — to recline

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