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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: snap · cabinet · mine · can · rule · rock · bowl · patient

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rock — music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. can — a tin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. snap — to click

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