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

Word bank: present · snap · perch · trunk · wound · hide · row · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wound — an injury
  4. present — the time now
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — to paddle
  8. present — there
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. row — a line
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to click
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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