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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: deal · saw · kid · bulb · file · mug · scale · branch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mug — a cup
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — in music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. file — a document
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mug — a face
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kid — to tease

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