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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 116 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: file · rush · squash · track · trunk · content

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. track — a path
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a document
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — a song
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — to keep track
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. squash — the sport

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