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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 120 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: lash · net · stand · key · nail · saw · rock · current

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. net — after costs
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. key — in music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. current — electric
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stand — to bear
  17. key — for a lock
  18. net — for catching
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — happening now
  21. net — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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