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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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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: wave · roll · trunk · kid · rest · toast · mark · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — child
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kid — to tease
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. board — a committee
  16. rest — a break
  17. toast — bread
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mark — a trace
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. board — to get on

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