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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: mug · straw · ground · charge · rest · bass · chair · bay

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ground — a position
  18. charge — in control
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rest — a break
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. charge — a price
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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