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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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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 · trunk · chip · last · press · cabinet · degree · pop

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — newspapers
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. press — to push
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. degree — from a university
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. last — final
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pop — soda
  24. temple — side of the head

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