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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: spell · board · rest · rock · trunk · row · content · cue

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rest — a break
  3. cue — for pool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a hint
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — to get on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. content — happy
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spell — a short time
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. spell — letters
  23. row — a line
  24. spell — magic

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