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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · bark · roll · lie · stand · bowl · season · deal

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. roll — a list
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — to shout
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. deal — to handle
  24. season — in sport

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