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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: can · squash · staff · rule · lash · present · rush · deal

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — there
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. squash — the sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — government
  22. present — the time now
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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