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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: staff · object · straw · trunk · rest · branch · lean · rock

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rock — music
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. object — to protest
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lean — to bend
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — a division
  19. object — an aim
  20. rest — a break
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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