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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 · hide · pass · cap · date · rock · chip · bound

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — certain
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — music
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cap — a lid
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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