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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.

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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: track · spell · press · lean · prune · bowl · bear · stem

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spell — letters
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. press — to push
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. track — to keep track
  24. press — a publisher

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