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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: kid · band · rash · branch · scale · perch · deal · lie

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. scale — size or range
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rash — a series
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. scale — in music

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