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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: mug · calf · prune · chip · bat · lean · date · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. chip — for betting
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chip — to eat
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mug — a cup
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — to bend
  24. prune — the fruit

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