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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: snap · roll · land · season · bulb · wake · dip · temple

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. dip — to sink
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. land — ground
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. land — a country
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. land — to come down
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. roll — a list
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. snap — to click

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