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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: land · arm · bulb · mark · press · fine · wax · tear

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. tear — from crying
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. land — ground
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — all right
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — to push

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