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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. capital — money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. capital — a city
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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