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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: coach · cell · track · bound · staff · wind · nail · scale

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — to keep track
  7. staff — a stick
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. track — a path
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a song
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. bound — certain
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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