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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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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: suit · can · clip · present · sharp · staff · saw · fork

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. present — the time now
  3. clip — to cut
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — to be able to
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fork — in a road
  13. suit — to fit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — there
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. can — a tin
  23. staff — a stick
  24. present — a gift

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