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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rock · bound · date · bear · cell · stand

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bound — certain
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — a stone
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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