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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: chest · ruler · toast · tear · foot · deal

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. toast — bread
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — a measure
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tear — from crying

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