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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: present · current · net · rest · lash · stock · temple · mine

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. present — the time now
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — goods
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — electric
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — a break
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. present — there
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — of water
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. net — for catching
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — in sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mine — for digging
  24. current — happening now

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