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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: hand · drill · vault · charge · bound · cold · nail · pass

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pass — a permit
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cold — not warm
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — a price
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cold — an illness
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pass — to spend time
  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