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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: fall · deal · press · snap · temple · pit · rash · chip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rash — a series
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — to eat
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — in a race
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. press — to push
  19. deal — to handle
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fall — the season

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