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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · leaves · stock · file · key · safe · coach · last

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. key — the most important part
  7. last — finally
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stock — goods
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stock — shares
  12. last — to go on
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. file — a tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. file — a document

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