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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: cue · capital · charge · drill · bound · hide · dip · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cue — a hint
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. charge — a price
  9. bound — certain
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. drill — army training
  17. charge — in control
  18. capital — money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. drill — the tool
  23. capital — a city
  24. dip — to dunk

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