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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: stem · suit · last · staff · pass · bass · prune · straw

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. last — finally
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. last — to go on
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bass — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — low music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. last — final
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pass — a permit
  22. prune — to trim
  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