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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 120 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 · shower · rock · vault · fan · kick · club · charge

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. vault — a safe
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. club — for dancing
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. content — happy
  16. club — a group
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. club — for golf

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