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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: lie · board · bass · straw · leaves · stick · firm · arm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — low music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — steady
  24. straw — dry grass

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