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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: stock · saw · current · degree · kick · lash · root · staff

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — of water
  10. stock — shares
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. root — the cause
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — in football
  19. degree — from a university
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. degree — an amount
  24. root — of a plant

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