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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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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: band · rule · tube · cue · hide · wind · staff · cabinet

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rule — a law
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tube — a container
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rule — government
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a ring

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