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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: wound · land · key · suit · band · plane · kick · foot

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. band — a ring
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kick — in football
  8. land — a country
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a music group
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. key — in music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — the most important part
  24. plane — a tool

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