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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: chair · calf · rock · nail · dip · wake · branch · sharp

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — a division
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wake — a trail
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. dip — to sink
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — a stone
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — a young animal
  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