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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · bound · chest · saw · vault · racket · rush · content

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — certain
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — a safe
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chest — a box
  9. content — happy
  10. bound — tied together
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — of your body
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rush — hurry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. content — the amount

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