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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 116 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: rock · straw · pit · cap · ruler · prune · mug · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cap — of ice
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a hat
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mug — a face

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