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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 · wave · rest · pass · mine · fine · straw · nail

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fine — all right
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — for digging
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. nail — on a finger

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