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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: press · bound · plane · stick · pit · lean · track · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lean — thin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. track — a song
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — to bend

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