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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: chest · bore · patient · mouse · press · mug · cap · pound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mug — to rob
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — to push
  19. mug — a face
  20. chest — a box
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — gave birth

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