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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: temple · swing · board · object · dip · bulb · hand · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — an aim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — help
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hand — in cards
  9. spell — letters
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. swing — music
  17. object — to protest
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. object — a thing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — magic
  24. swing — in golf

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