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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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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: cabinet · suit · pound · staff · lash · kick · stock · toast

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stock — shares
  8. kick — in football
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lash — to lash out

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