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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: temple · bulb · toast · present · press · chip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. present — a gift
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. present — there
  11. toast — bread
  12. press — a publisher
  13. present — the time now
  14. chip — for betting
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bulb — for light

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