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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · racket · straw · nail · court · current · wax · craft

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fall — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of a king
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. current — of water
  13. fall — to drop
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — for sport
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — happening now
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — of law
  24. current — electric

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