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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 116 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: bound · face · row · charge · nail · stand · drill · pitcher

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. drill — a practice
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — tied together
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. drill — army training

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