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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
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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: fan · key · chair · root · last · pound · kick · spring

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spring — of water
  5. root — of a word
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spring — a coil
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. key — in music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. spring — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. last — finally
  19. root — of a plant
  20. last — final
  21. key — the most important part
  22. kick — in football
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — to go on

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