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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: rest · straw · mine · staff · hide · row · pass · trunk

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. staff — a stick
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pass — a permit

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