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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: saw · cold · charge · nail · stock · bound · drill · staff

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — a price
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — army training
  19. stock — shares
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bound — tied together
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — the tool

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