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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: spring · spell · current · roll · object · rush · rule · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — of water
  9. rule — a law
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rule — government
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — of water
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — the season
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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