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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: suit · board · cue · fall · squash · wake · rush · nail

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a hint
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a committee
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. suit — to fit

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