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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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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: press · chest · shower · bear · pound · patient · plane · ruler

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. press — a publisher
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. press — to push
  20. pound — a weight
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chest — a box
  23. shower — to wash
  24. patient — a sick person

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