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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.

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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: ground · hand · nail · lie · arm · rule · bank · prune

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ground — a position
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — help
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — government
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rule — a law
  24. nail — on a finger

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