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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: last · squash · dip · jam · land · temple · bulb · content

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — finally
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. last — final
  12. squash — to crush
  13. last — to go on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. land — a country
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. content — the amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. content — happy
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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