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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: net · current · safe · date · chest · wave · jam · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chest — a box
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. current — electric
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. date — the fruit
  15. net — after costs
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. net — for catching
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — in sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — on the calendar

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