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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: board · rush · drill · march · wax · face · safe · content

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. content — the amount
  12. board — to get on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. rush — hurry
  16. march — music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. board — a committee
  20. content — happy
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — to grow
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rush — a thrill

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