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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: mine · suit · present · plane · calf · key · kid · land

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. key — the most important part
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. land — ground
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mine — for digging
  11. suit — clothes
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. land — a country
  17. present — there
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kid — child
  22. land — to come down
  23. present — the time now
  24. plane — in geometry

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