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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.

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: wind · mouse · wave · craft · fine · straw · hand · racket

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fine — all right
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. craft — boats
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hand — help

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