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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: spell · dip · land · temple · game · content · bulb · fine

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spell — letters
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — the amount
  12. dip — to sink
  13. land — a country
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. content — happy
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — a match
  24. fine — high quality

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