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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: face · lash · drill · march · swing · deal · pitch · rash

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — to play on
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — completely
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — hasty
  12. swing — music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — a series
  15. march — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — a sports field

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