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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 120 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 · board · cap · fan · file · bat · rush · kick

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. board — a committee
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. kick — in football
  18. board — to get on
  19. face — to confront
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kick — with a leg

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