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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: deal · patient · safe · wind · scale · wave · kid · row

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — to paddle
  3. deal — to handle
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kid — child
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. scale — in music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. row — a line
  23. wind — moving air
  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