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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: last · court · hide · key · spring · root · nail · pass

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — in music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. last — to go on
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — final
  10. court — of a king
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — of a word
  13. court — of law
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — finally
  17. spring — a coil
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — the cause
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spring — of water
  24. hide — animal skin

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