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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: staff · bound · coach · race · hide · pass · nail · scale

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — tied together
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — obliged
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bound — certain
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — humankind
  23. scale — in music
  24. nail — on a finger

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