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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: swing · current · content · lean · rash · safe · patient · bulb

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. lean — thin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — happy
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. swing — music
  13. current — electric
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. content — the amount
  21. current — of water
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. patient — a sick person
  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