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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: wave · band · face · safe · pass · land · rest · season

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — in sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. season — of the year
  13. rest — what's left
  14. land — a country
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pass — a permit
  21. land — ground
  22. face — to point toward
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pass — to succeed

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