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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: swing · net · mouse · spring · land · dip · bulb · temple

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. net — in sport
  3. swing — music
  4. land — a country
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — of water
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. spring — a coil
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — to play on
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — ground
  24. temple — a place of worship

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