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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 · stock · root · staff · fine · clip · lean · rush

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. clip — to cut
  7. root — the cause
  8. clip — a video
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stock — shares
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fine — all right
  15. lean — to bend
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — thin

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