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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: arm · stick · face · hand · mouse · coach · board · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — to point toward
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. face — to confront
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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