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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: calf · bowl · suit · cold · rush · squash · track · branch

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rush — hurry
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. squash — the sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bowl — a football final

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