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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: roll · bass · fan · wind · lash · trunk · stick · squash

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — the fish
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — a supporter

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