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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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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: wind · kick · mate · racket · scale · face · board · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. scale — size or range
  3. face — to confront
  4. mate — a partner
  5. face — to point toward
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — in music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. board — to get on
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. drill — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. board — a flat piece

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