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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: bulb · present · stem · race · drill · mate

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — a gift
  9. race — humankind
  10. stem — to come from
  11. present — there
  12. mate — a friend
  13. race — the arms race
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mate — to breed
  17. race — a contest
  18. bulb — for light

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