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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: calf · rush · snap · key · root · straw · jam · perch

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. perch — the fish
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. snap — to click
  5. key — the most important part
  6. root — of a word
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — the cause
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. jam — in traffic

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