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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.

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: wax · mark · bear · patient · bulb · wind · fine · press

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fine — high quality
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mark — a trace

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