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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: face · file · rest · key · wake · kid · squash · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a document
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stand — to bear
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. key — in music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. squash — to crush

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