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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: cap · lash · mine · rash · current · clip · fine · net

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. net — for catching
  3. cap — a lid
  4. net — after costs
  5. clip — a video
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cap — a hat
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — happening now
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fine — all right
  18. net — in sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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