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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 · pitch · mine · file · suit · drill · last · rush

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — army training
  4. last — finally
  5. file — a document
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rush — hurry
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — clothes
  13. last — to go on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. last — final
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — to fit
  24. face — to confront

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