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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: fan · row · pitcher · bulb · face · vault · mug · branch

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. face — to confront
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a line
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. vault — a safe
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mug — to rob
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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