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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 116 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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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: prune · rest · hide · pass · bank · staff · straw · cell

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. prune — to trim

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