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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: nail · charge · coach · track · straw · court · wax · hand

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — for sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. court — of law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — to keep track
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a path
  22. hand — help
  23. track — a song
  24. coach — a trainer

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