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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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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: deal · stock · fall · branch · safe · bear · last · bound

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — tied together
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. branch — a division
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. last — finally
  23. fall — to drop
  24. safe — out of danger

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