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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.

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: branch · lash · perch · kid · current · capital · rash · cabinet

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — a series
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — money
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. current — of water

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