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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: toast · temple · prune · root · wound · safe · kick · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — in football
  4. root — of a word
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a plant
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — the cause
  24. toast — bread

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