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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: degree · rest · rash · ruler · fall · face · mate · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — a series
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fall — the season
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — to breed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rest — a break
  24. mate — a friend

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