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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 · cabinet · rash · pass · can · shower · ruler · object

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. object — a thing
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. object — to protest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rash — hasty
  19. can — a tin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rash — a series
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — rain

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