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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · lie · scale · degree · present · rest · game · cabinet

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. scale — size or range
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — a series
  6. present — there
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — in music
  17. game — a match
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — hasty
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rest — a break

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