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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: dip · press · fall · pound · lean · fine · pop · chip

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. press — to push
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — all right
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. pop — soda
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pop — music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — a penalty

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