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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: charge · nail · stock · hand · cold · staff · suit · saw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — shares
  9. hand — in cards
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hand — help
  13. stock — goods
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — employees
  16. cold — an illness
  17. charge — in control
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — a price
  23. cold — not warm
  24. charge — electricity

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