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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: mine · stem · chest · present · bore · date · cabinet · roll

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — to tire
  10. roll — a list
  11. present — the time now
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. present — there
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chest — a box
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chest — of your body
  21. present — a gift
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. date — the fruit

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