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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · land · squash · fine · dip · bound · spell · cabinet

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — all right
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — to come down
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. land — ground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — obliged
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. land — a country
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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