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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: dip · net · bank · cue · current · plane · spring · bear

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — of water
  16. net — after costs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — the animal

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