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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: mouse · mate · coach · last · scale · fall · roll · band

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. roll — a list
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — to go on
  8. roll — a cake
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. band — a ring
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — the season
  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