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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · perch · present · fork · clip · nail · arm · dip

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. clip — to cut
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. clip — a video
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — the time now
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — there
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. clip — for paper

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