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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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Word bank
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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: rash · mine · present · spell · snap · perch · root · club

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — a series
  3. spell — a short time
  4. root — of a word
  5. present — there
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — magic
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. root — the cause
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rash — hasty
  14. club — for dancing
  15. snap — to click
  16. spell — letters
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. present — a gift
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. present — the time now

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