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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.

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: pitch · plane · hide · lash · scale · branch · perch · band

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. plane — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — size or range
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a ring
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitch — completely
  17. perch — the fish
  18. scale — in music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a music group
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. band — a rubber band

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