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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · present · degree · fan · rash · pass · squash · foot

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — to crush
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. degree — an amount
  11. present — a gift
  12. band — a ring
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. band — a music group
  18. rash — a series
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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