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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: lie · bound · present · hand · cabinet · press · stick · track

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — newspapers
  3. present — a gift
  4. hand — help
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bound — certain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — a path
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a song
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — obliged
  23. press — to push
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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