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

Word bank: rest · deal · pit · pass · game · wound · wave · firm

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pit — in a race
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. game — a match
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — a permit
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — a break
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. deal — to handle
  20. firm — a company
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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