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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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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 · kid · deal · staff · file · perch · rush · branch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a line of people
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. branch — a division
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. file — a tool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. staff — employees
  23. can — to be able to
  24. staff — employees

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