Multiple Meaning Words Worksheets

About This Worksheet Collection

This Multiple Meaning Words worksheet collection helps students explore the rich flexibility of English vocabulary by analyzing words that carry more than one definition. Through riddles, cloze activities, poetry, mystery reading, advertising analysis, sentence rewriting, and definition matching, learners discover how context determines meaning. The worksheets guide students to think critically about semantic shifts, figurative vs. literal language, and how authors use wordplay to create humor, clarity, or deeper significance.

Across the collection, students strengthen foundational literacy skills such as context-clue interpretation, inferencing, close reading, rewriting for clarity, and identifying precise word meanings. They also gain confidence navigating ambiguity, solving language-based problems, and understanding how multiple-meaning words influence storytelling, communication, and persuasive writing. These activities prepare learners for more advanced reading comprehension and equip them to use vocabulary with flexibility and accuracy.

Detailed Descriptions Of These Worksheets

Double Trouble Riddles
Students solve clever riddles where both clues point to different meanings of the same word. They use inference and reasoning to identify vocabulary that fits both contexts. This strengthens understanding of polysemous words and builds confidence with figurative and literal interpretation.

Meaning Flip
Learners rewrite sentences using the same bolded word but with a completely different meaning. This demonstrates understanding of how context shapes definition. Students practice creative rewriting, clarity, and flexible vocabulary use.

Word Explorer Poem
Students read a poem and underline every multiple-meaning word they find. This encourages close reading and highlights how polysemous words naturally enrich poetic language. Students deepen comprehension of vocabulary in literary text.

Word Sleuth
Each sentence is followed by a mini list of dictionary-style definitions. Students choose which meaning fits the sentence. This activity builds context-clue skills, reference skills, and precise vocabulary interpretation.

Double Meaning Fill
Students complete two sentences using the same word, applying a different meaning each time. This reinforces understanding of semantic shifts and strengthens reasoning. Learners use context to determine how one word can function in multiple ways.

Word in Context
Learners read short paragraphs where a repeated word carries two meanings. They explain each meaning using textual clues. This deepens analytical reading skills and strengthens vocabulary comprehension.

The Missing Key
Students read a mystery story that relies on multiple-meaning words for its clues. They answer questions requiring them to identify each meaning and explain how the wordplay impacts the plot. This develops inference skills, narrative comprehension, and flexible thinking.

Selling with Meaning
Students examine advertising slogans that use double meanings for humor or persuasion. They identify the key word, list its two meanings, and explain how the wordplay strengthens the message. This builds media literacy and understanding of persuasive techniques.

Lexical Confusion Unit
Learners review real-world misunderstandings caused by ambiguous vocabulary. They identify the tricky word, explain both meanings, and rewrite the sentence for clarity. This strengthens precise communication and vocabulary analysis.

Double Meaning Dash
Students solve riddles whose answers are multiple-meaning words, then explain each meaning. This reinforces inferencing, clue interpretation, and vocabulary flexibility. Students build confidence with ambiguous language.

Word Switcheroo
Learners write two sentences for each multiple-meaning word-one sentence for each meaning. This requires accurate application of definitions, strong writing skills, and understanding of how context shapes interpretation.

Word Twins
Students match multiple-meaning words to the correct pair of definitions. This reinforces vocabulary categorization and dictionary skills. Learners practice recognizing nuanced differences between similar meanings and understanding how words function across contexts.