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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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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: board · trunk · rock · mouse · rest · foot · snap · rule

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rock — a stone
  4. board — a committee
  5. rule — a law
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to click
  24. rest — what's left

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