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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: roll · arm · fork · scale · lash · deal · lie · coach

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. scale — in music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. roll — a cake
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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