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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: fan · arm · bark · dip · hand · suit · rock · bass

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — low music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — to fit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bark — to shout
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. suit — in cards
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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