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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · rash · rush · bank · stem · track · cap · squash

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bank — of a river
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cap — a lid
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — a series
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. kid — child
  19. rush — hurry
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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