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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.

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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: last · spell · capital · pass · lash · press · craft · swing

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pass — a permit
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. last — to go on
  12. capital — a city
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. swing — music
  16. press — to push
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. craft — boats
  19. swing — in golf
  20. last — finally
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spell — a short time
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. capital — a big letter

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