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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: capital · wave · face · date · board · game · rest · pass

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. game — wild animals
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — a committee
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rest — a break
  15. capital — a city
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — to point toward
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — a permit
  20. date — the fruit
  21. capital — money
  22. face — to confront
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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