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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · branch · lie · squash · march · stem · plane · mate

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rash — a series
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — a partner
  21. branch — a division
  22. march — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. squash — the sport

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