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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: branch · date · bound · lie · stick · bowl · last · track

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. last — final
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bound — obliged
  6. track — a path
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bound — certain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. track — to keep track
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. last — finally
  18. bound — tied together
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. track — a song
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. last — to go on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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