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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: shower · charge · fine · deal · cap · file · branch · key

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. shower — rain
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. charge — in control
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fine — high quality
  13. file — a tool
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — to wash
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cap — a lid
  19. key — in music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. charge — a price
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fine — all right

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