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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: lean · sharp · clip · press · kick · staff · arm · can

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — a stick
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. clip — to cut
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. press — newspapers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to bend
  22. press — a publisher
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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