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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: stick · arm · rock · hand · bass · rest · coach · fall

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — low music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. hand — help
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rest — what's left
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — a break

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