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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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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: branch · vault · fan · stick · fall · chest · can · row

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chest — a box
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — a line
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chest — of your body
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fall — to drop

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