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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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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: straw · trunk · pass · branch · last · staff · vault · suit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — a division
  6. last — to go on
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pass — a permit
  20. last — finally
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. straw — a straw man

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