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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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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: tear · lash · ruler · nail · lie · bound · prune · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — tied together
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — certain
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tear — from crying
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — to recline
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — the fruit

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