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

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bass — the fish
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — low music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cap — of ice
  19. root — the cause
  20. clip — a video
  21. toast — bread
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. dip — to sink

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