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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 · sharp · face · content · clip · squash · stick · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. suit — clothes
  5. face — part of the head
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — clever
  11. clip — a video
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. clip — to cut
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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