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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: rash · wind · fan · squash · cue · suit · sharp · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. squash — the sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — a signal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cue — for pool

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