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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.

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: row · wind · fan · shower · ball · charge · staff · arm

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — to paddle
  3. shower — rain
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. row — a line
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. charge — in control
  16. wind — moving air
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ball — a great time
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — to wash
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. arm — a part of something

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