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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 120 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: season · rest · coach · chest · foot · content · bore · key

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. season — in sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to tire
  15. key — in music
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chest — a box
  18. season — of the year
  19. content — the amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. content — happy
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — a trainer

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