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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: pass · swing · fan · roll · lean · squash · last · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. swing — in golf
  5. roll — a cake
  6. squash — the sport
  7. march — the month
  8. lean — thin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — a list
  12. last — final
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. last — finally
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — a permit
  23. squash — to crush
  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