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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: craft · wax · bore · straw · bound · net · current · chest

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. net — in sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — a skill
  9. net — after costs
  10. chest — of your body
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chest — a box
  14. bound — obliged
  15. current — of water
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — happening now
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. craft — a handicraft

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