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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: craft · date · stick · clip · safe · file · face · fork

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a document
  8. date — the fruit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. face — to confront
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — a video
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. craft — boats
  21. clip — for paper
  22. face — to point toward
  23. file — a tool
  24. face — part of the head

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