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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · season · cold · press · chip · fan · fall · temple

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fall — to drop
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chip — for betting
  12. season — of the year
  13. fall — the season
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cold — not warm
  18. chip — to eat
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cold — an illness
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fan — a supporter

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