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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: swing · key · rash · march · stem · pass · last · lash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. march — music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rash — a series
  18. last — final
  19. rash — hasty
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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