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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 · mate · mouse · pass · net · cabinet · chest · coach

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chest — a box
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — bread
  14. mate — a partner
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. net — for catching
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mate — a friend
  24. net — in sport

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