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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: stand · face · chest · rash · drill · season · file · board

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — to bear
  3. face — to point toward
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. face — to confront
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a document
  15. board — to get on
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. face — part of the head
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — a committee

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