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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: bound · wound · track · press · can · cabinet · file · stem

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — a path
  3. press — to push
  4. wound — an injury
  5. file — a line of people
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — tied together
  8. file — a document
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wound — an injury
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. track — a song
  23. stem — to come from
  24. press — a publisher

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