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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rock · cabinet · cell · press · patient · current · rule · mug

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rock — music
  4. rule — a law
  5. current — happening now
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mug — a face
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — electric
  14. rule — government
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cell — a phone
  19. press — to push
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — in a prison

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