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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: temple · mate · rush · date · staff · tube · stem · race

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. rush — hurry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — the underground
  7. staff — a stick
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mate — a partner
  11. race — a contest
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mate — to breed
  23. date — the fruit
  24. race — humankind

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