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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cap — of ice
  8. root — of a plant
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a lid
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. root — the cause
  15. roll — a list
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. snap — to click
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cap — a hat

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