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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 116 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: object · cabinet · saw · ruler · patient · rule · press · mouse

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. press — to push
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — a publisher
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rule — government
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — an aim
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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