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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: present · file · temple · mate · pop · leaves · stem · field

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. mate — to breed
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. file — a document
  8. mate — a partner
  9. present — the time now
  10. pop — music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mate — a friend
  14. field — a subject
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. file — a tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. field — for sport
  24. pop — soda

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