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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: press · lash · squash · saw · band · fan · sharp · trunk

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — to push
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. press — newspapers
  9. squash — the sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a ring
  12. press — a publisher
  13. band — a music group
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — with an edge

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