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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 120 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 · bat · prune · cap · band · dip · calf · chair

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. sharp — clever
  8. band — a ring
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cap — a hat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — a professorship

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