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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · spell · cap · temple · land · fan · dip · wave

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — of ice
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — letters
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. content — happy
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cap — a hat
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. land — to come down
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spell — magic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — a lid
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. dip — to sink

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