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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: lash · stock · staff · land · cell · kick · key · foot

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. key — in music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kick — in football
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — shares
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. cell — in biology
  24. foot — a measure

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