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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: vault · band · content · rest · stick · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a ring
  5. content — the amount
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chest — of your body
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. band — a music group
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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