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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tear · squash · spell · rule · rash · march

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rash — a series
  3. spell — letters
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — from crying
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. rash — hasty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spell — magic
  18. rule — government

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