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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: rush · board · mark · stick · march · drill · nail · swing

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — army training
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — music
  17. swing — music
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — a trace
  20. swing — to play on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — the month
  23. board — a committee
  24. mark — a grade

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