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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 120 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: kid · hand · cabinet · patient · season · press · rock · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — to push
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. hand — help
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — child

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