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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
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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: march · arm · mate · wind · current · face · file · rush

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. current — of water
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — to confront
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — electric
  14. file — a line of people
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. march — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. march — the month
  21. file — a tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — to breed

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