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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: wave · deal · rest · mark · kid · wound · safe · current

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — a break
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — of water
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — happening now
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wound — an injury

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