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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: lean · face · safe · clip · nail · temple · mark · root

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — thin
  4. root — the cause
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — to cut
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — part of the head
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — of a word
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. face — to confront
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mark — a grade
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mark — to pay attention

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