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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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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: land · tear · fine · nail · trunk · ruler · shower · lash

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. land — to come down
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tear — to rip
  24. land — a country

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