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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: lash · shower · march · bay · press · swing · degree · last

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. degree — an amount
  6. last — to go on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. last — final
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. swing — music
  16. shower — rain
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. last — finally
  22. shower — to wash
  23. press — to push
  24. lash — to lash out

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