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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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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 · trunk · saw · pop · board · rest · toast · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pop — to visit
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. board — to get on
  24. cell — a phone

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