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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 116 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: scale · rush · face · pass · wave · bowl · suit · game

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. suit — to fit
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — hurry
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — in music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — with your hand

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