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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: vault · key · ball · rash · branch · kick · row · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ball — a dance
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. kick — in football
  18. key — in music
  19. row — a line
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — hasty
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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