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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: pass · wave · deal · chip · season · spring · bound · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cold — an illness
  4. season — in sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spring — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cold — not warm
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spring — the season
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pass — to spend time

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