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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: content · snap · prune · kid · mouse · arm · perch · present

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — there
  6. kid — child
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kid — to tease
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — a gift
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. present — the time now
  19. content — the amount
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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