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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. march — the month
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — thin
  16. march — music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bore — to tire
  19. firm — decided
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — a committee
  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