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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — to be able to
  14. clip — for paper
  15. degree — temperature
  16. tube — a container
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — a tin

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