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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · drill · mouse · march · face · rash · racket · board

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a committee
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — part of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rash — a series
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — to get on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. file — a document
  24. rash — hasty

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