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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 120 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: pass · bound · current · stick · cold · chip · lash · nail

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cold — not warm
  10. current — of water
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cold — an illness
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — certain

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