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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 · wound · branch · rash · key · vault · track · bore

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. vault — a safe
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bore — to drill
  5. track — a song
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. branch — a division
  12. rash — a series
  13. key — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. key — for a lock
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rash — hasty
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. track — a path

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