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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · ball · kick · content · bowl · row · fan · shower

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. content — the amount
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — a line
  18. kick — in football
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — electricity

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