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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 · spell · fan · cabinet · kick · lash · sharp · march

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spell — a short time
  14. march — the month
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. march — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spell — magic
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — clever

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