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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: press · bound · pound · plane · content · bear · stem · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bound — certain
  4. plane — a tool
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — a publisher
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — the amount
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bound — obliged

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