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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 · stock · rush · current · bear · nail · net · band

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stock — shares
  4. net — in sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — for catching
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — electric

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