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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: spring · perch · jam · lash · track · bowl · snap · tear

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. snap — to click
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tear — from crying
  10. perch — the fish
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — the season
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spring — of water
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. tear — from crying

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