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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: wound · key · pound · press · track · bound · leaves · toast

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a song
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. toast — bread
  14. bound — certain
  15. track — to keep track
  16. press — a publisher
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. track — a path
  21. press — newspapers
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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