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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: content · drill · key · wind · wound · leaves · chip · land

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. content — the amount
  4. key — in music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. land — to come down
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — to eat
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. drill — army training
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wound — an injury

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