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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · patient · trunk · pop · rush · object · current · fall

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — of water
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — to protest
  10. current — electric
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — a thing
  19. rush — hurry
  20. current — happening now
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cabinet — ministers

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