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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: fine · stand · wave · drill · nail · bound · cold · rush

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cold — not warm
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. drill — army training
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cold — the Cold War

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