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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: stem · present · prune · temple · mate · bore · club · tube

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. present — there
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. club — for golf
  9. present — the time now
  10. tube — the underground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — a gift
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bore — to tire

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