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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 · jam · ball · snap · bound · swing · temple · root

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bound — certain
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — a safe
  9. swing — music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — of a word
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bound — tied together
  21. root — the cause
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. temple — a place of worship

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