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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: hand · leaves · foot · coach · content · chest · toast · ruler

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chest — a box
  4. hand — help
  5. content — happy
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. content — the amount
  13. toast — bread
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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