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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 116 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: drill · perch · face · mug · board · shower · rash · file

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — rain
  4. file — a tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — the tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — to wash
  11. board — a committee
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — to point toward
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. perch — the fish
  16. file — a document
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — part of the head
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mug — a face
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a cup
  23. face — to confront
  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