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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: temple · snap · perch · scale · deal · tear · mouse · jam

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. deal — to handle
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. snap — to click
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — size or range
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — the fish
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. scale — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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