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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: perch · drill · fine · rash · lean · deal · cabinet · branch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. drill — army training
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. branch — a division
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — thin
  23. fine — high quality
  24. perch — for a bird

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