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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: fan · hide · branch · charge · cap · rule · land · date

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — to come down
  7. cap — a lid
  8. land — a country
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — of ice
  17. land — ground
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — electricity
  21. date — the fruit
  22. branch — a division
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — a price

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