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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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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: roll · staff · snap · charge · nail · wax · board · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — a price
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to click
  11. bound — certain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. board — to get on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — in control

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