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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: clip · fork · present · rest · toast · dip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. toast — bread
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. clip — for paper
  7. present — a gift
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. present — the time now
  11. rest — what's left
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — there
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. dip — to sink

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