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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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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: kid · stand · key · squash · file · hide · coach · toast

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. kid — child
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. file — a line of people
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — in music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kid — to tease
  23. toast — bread
  24. stand — for spectators

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