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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · rush · prune · present · tear · lie · nail · rock

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. present — there
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tear — from crying
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tear — to rip
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — a thrill

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