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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: bear · roll · last · branch · squash · dip · lie · present

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — to sink
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. last — final
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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