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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: sharp · squash · rush · stand · tube · hide · lie · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — a container
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stand — on your feet

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