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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: board · pop · mug · rest · march · trunk · kick · fan

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — in football
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. march — the month
  8. rest — a break
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — a face
  11. pop — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. march — music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. board — to get on
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — soda

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