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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: pass · kick · degree · cabinet · fall · mug · net · rush

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. net — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — the season
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — with a leg

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