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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 · file · sharp · board · nail · rush · mate · face

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rush — hurry
  3. file — a line of people
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. board — to get on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — a partner
  12. board — a committee
  13. staff — employees
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. file — a tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — part of the head
  24. nail — for a hammer

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