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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: press · ball · dip · kick · pop · stand · sharp · leaves

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kick — in football
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stand — to bear
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ball — a great time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to sink
  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