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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: wake · kid · key · branch · stock · kick · vault · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mate — a friend
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — shares
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — child
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — goods
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. key — in music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kick — with a leg

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