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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: mark · rash · trunk · pop · rest · face · board · current

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — a break
  3. pop — to visit
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — a grade
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pop — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — happening now
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rash — hasty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — of water
  20. pop — soda
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rash — a series
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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