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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: kick · race · hide · rush · staff · stock · club · lie

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kick — in football
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — humankind
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. staff — a stick
  19. race — the arms race
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — goods
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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