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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
468
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: mug · stock · wave · rush · stick · kick · clip · staff

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. staff — a stick
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — goods
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — a cup
  17. clip — for paper
  18. kick — in football
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mug — a face
  23. staff — employees
  24. clip — a video

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