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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: content · bound · deal · nail · pass · cold · dip · board

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pass — a permit
  6. board — to get on
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — happy
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — to handle
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bound — certain
  22. content — the amount
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pass — to spend time

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