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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: toast · pass · scale · race · last · lie · chest · coach

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. race — a contest
  5. scale — in music
  6. last — to go on
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chest — a box
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. last — final
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — humankind

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