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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 120 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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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: chip · dip · press · temple · rule · mate

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rule — a law
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. press — newspapers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — government
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — to sink
  18. 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