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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: prune · mark · tear · pound · lie · bay · nail · pitch

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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