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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 · face · bound · kid · track · row · stick · bore

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. kid — child
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kid — to tease
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. press — to push
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — a song
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — a path
  22. press — a publisher
  23. face — to confront
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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