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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: patient · bound · rush · root · fall · key · current · cabinet

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — hurry
  3. key — in music
  4. root — the cause
  5. fall — the season
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — electric
  8. key — for a lock
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a word
  13. bound — certain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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