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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: rule · stand · rock · hand · current · can · cabinet · arm

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rule — a law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. current — electric
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rule — to rule out

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