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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 120 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: race · mate · stem · cabinet · present · firm

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. race — humankind
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. present — the time now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a friend
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. race — a contest
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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