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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: bulb · bowl · chip · dip · wake · temple · press · wind

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — moving air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chip — for betting
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — to eat

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