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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. suit — in cards
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — to breed
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — to crush
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. suit — clothes
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. drill — army training
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — to come from

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