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

Word bank: hide · stem · march · suit · fall · mate · squash · ruler

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — a friend
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — the sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — clothes
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. march — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fall — the season
  24. squash — the vegetable

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