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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 116 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: march · lie · mate · net · wound · fall · rush · suit

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — in sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — for catching
  24. mate — a partner

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