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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: current · bat · patient · wave · date · deal · safe · sharp

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. current — happening now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. current — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. deal — to handle

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