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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 · lie · bass · deal · coach · dip · board · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — low music
  6. rest — a break
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. board — a committee
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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