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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: squash · file · track · rush · season · nail · stem · bank

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. file — a document
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. squash — to crush
  15. file — a line of people
  16. track — a song
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bank — of a river
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — of the year

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