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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 120 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: stand · rock · branch · lie · bear · content · deal · perch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rock — a stone
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — a division

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