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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: deal · wake · calf · tear · kick · kid

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kid — child
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kid — to tease
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tear — to rip
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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