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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — to point toward
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. clip — a video
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. suit — in cards
  11. club — for dancing
  12. face — to confront
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. club — for golf
  15. face — part of the head
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — a skill
  24. suit — to fit

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