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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · branch · rush · season · root · kick · tube · hide

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — the cause
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kick — in football
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. season — of the year
  21. root — of a word
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tube — a container

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