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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
468
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: can · bear · calf · bass · lie · branch · last · stock

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — finally
  15. branch — a division
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  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