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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: wax · deal · kick · calf · leaves · sharp · bat · present

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. calf — a young animal

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