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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: mouse · face · clip · safe · cell · charge · tear · root

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. face — to confront
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — of a word
  10. tear — to rip
  11. clip — for paper
  12. root — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. root — the cause
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — in biology

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