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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 116 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: net · track · fall · root · kick · lean · press · bound

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — obliged
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bound — certain
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. track — a path
  9. net — in sport
  10. lean — thin
  11. press — to push
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — a song
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — for catching
  20. press — newspapers
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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