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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · field · coach · key · lash · pass · squash · march

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. key — for a lock
  5. field — a subject
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — a permit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — for sport
  18. march — music
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — in music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. march — the month
  24. squash — the vegetable

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