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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
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 · sharp · chip · spell · safe · drill · wind · roll

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chip — for betting
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — happy
  8. drill — the tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spell — magic
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. roll — a list
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. spell — letters
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. safe — out of danger

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