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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
468
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: tube · bear · sharp · wax · calf · kick · swing · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wax — in the ear

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