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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: cabinet · degree · cold · ruler · lean · stock · root · rash

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — the cause
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. root — of a word
  22. stock — shares
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stock — a soup base

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