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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 116 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: staff · tear · charge · ground · stick · nail · cabinet · stand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — in control
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — a price
  15. stand — to bear
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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