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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: chest · straw · charge · bass · trunk · rash · nail · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — electricity
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. court — of law
  7. rash — hasty
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — a price
  12. chest — a box
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rash — a series
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. court — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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