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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: clip · safe · fork · lash · rest · current · net · lean

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. current — of water
  3. rest — a break
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lean — thin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — happening now
  16. rest — what's left
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. current — electric
  24. net — in sport

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