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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: present · kick · lean · cue · fork · pop · calf · wax

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. pop — soda
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pop — music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. present — a gift
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fork — in a road

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