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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 · date · coach · face · mouse · perch · last · mate

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — bread
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — finally
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. last — to go on
  21. perch — the fish
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — the fruit

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