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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: arm · current · wax · fine · bowl · field · wave · press

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wax — to grow
  6. field — a subject
  7. fine — high quality
  8. field — farmland
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. press — to push
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. field — for sport
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — electric
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fine — all right
  24. press — a publisher

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