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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 120 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: bound · press · wound · pass · spell · stock · degree · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spell — magic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. bound — certain
  7. press — to push
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pass — a permit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — from a university

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