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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cold — not warm
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — certain
  6. row — to paddle
  7. firm — steady
  8. key — in music
  9. cold — an illness
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bound — tied together
  13. key — for a lock
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — the most important part
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. row — a line
  20. firm — a company
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — in control
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — a stick

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