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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: hide · cue · rush · object · branch · cold · tube · staff

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. object — an aim
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — an illness
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cold — not warm
  10. staff — employees
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — a container
  19. cue — a hint
  20. object — to protest
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — in a tire

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