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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 · bark · spring · firm · present · bound · wake · press

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bound — certain
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spring — of water
  9. track — a song
  10. present — there
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — to keep track
  18. firm — decided
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — a company
  21. press — a publisher
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. press — to push

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