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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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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: dip · lie · bulb · wind · snap · suit · spell · cell

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — for light
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to click
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — in biology
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — magic
  20. wind — moving air
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — for light

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