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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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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: fine · fan · cap · cabinet · branch · lean · chest · charge

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chest — a box
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — a price
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — thin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a hat
  24. branch — of a bank

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