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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.

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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: nail · shower · lie · wound · row · press · mark · ruler

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a trace
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — rain
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — a line
  24. press — to push

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