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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · racket · rush · mouse · straw · snap · march · key

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. march — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. march — the month
  18. snap — to click
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — boats
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. racket — a loud noise

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