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

Word bank: kick · sharp · deal · plane · root · safe · content · cold

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — in football
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. root — of a word
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — not warm
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. root — of a plant
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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