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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: band · arm · toast · content · coach · date · scale · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. content — the amount
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. band — a music group
  15. date — the fruit
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. content — happy
  22. band — a ring
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. date — on the calendar

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