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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: row · charge · content · calf · shower · lean · field · coach

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. shower — to wash
  8. field — a subject
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — electricity
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. shower — rain
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — to bend
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — the amount
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lean — thin

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