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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: lean · rush · rock · hide · stem · squash · march · pit

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — hurry
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — to hurry

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