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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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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: wake · fine · land · bulb · bank · lean · wax · hand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — for light
  3. land — to come down
  4. lean — thin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. hand — help
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wake — before a funeral

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