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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: nail · saw · stem · current · vault · cold · coach · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — electric
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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