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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: rest · hand · arm · fine · bass · lie · fork · board

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — help
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. board — a committee
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — a break
  17. bass — low music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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