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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.

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: coach · shower · pound · bank · current · stem · chest · patient

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bank — of a river
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chest — a box
  19. current — happening now
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — of water
  24. pound — to hit hard

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