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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 · coach · swing · fan · foot · track · spell · pass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spell — letters
  4. swing — in golf
  5. track — a path
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spell — magic
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. swing — music
  16. track — a song
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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