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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 120 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: deal · kick · safe · bark · root · ground · stem · sharp

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — the earth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bark — to shout
  16. root — the cause
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. root — of a word
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. safe — out of danger

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