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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
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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 · cabinet · rock · date · land · mate · deal · bore

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. date — the fruit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — ground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. deal — to handle

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