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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: content · vault · fan · rock · prune · shower · sharp · charge

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — to wash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rock — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. vault — a safe
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — a stone
  16. content — the amount
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. content — happy

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