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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: suit · hide · stem · rash · ruler · vault · mine · rock

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rash — a series
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mine — for digging

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