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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: fine · drill · face · key · content · land · lie · rush

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. content — the amount
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — army training
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. face — to confront
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. key — for a lock
  16. content — happy
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — to recline
  19. face — part of the head
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — to come down
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — the most important part

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