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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: cell · leaves · pop · file · fine · stem · snap · lean

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pop — soda
  7. file — a document
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. file — a tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. file — a line of people
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lean — thin
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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