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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: game · date · saw · pass · dip · wound · wave · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a match
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — a break
  6. date — the fruit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to sink
  14. game — wild animals
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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