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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: deal · rule · spring · rock · tear · rush · club · squash

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. rule — a law
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rule — government
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spring — the season
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rush — hurry
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. tear — from crying

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