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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.

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: face · file · hand · drill · mug · straw · squash · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mug — to rob
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — to crush
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. file — a document
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. drill — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — a face
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. mug — a cup
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a line of people
  22. face — to confront
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. file — a tool

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