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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
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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: cold · roll · bound · drill · wave · bay · chip · season

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — army training
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. roll — a list
  16. drill — a practice
  17. roll — a cake
  18. season — in sport
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. season — of the year
  21. cold — not warm
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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