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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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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: vault · bound · mine · ball · stand · sharp · content · rush

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — to bear
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. content — the amount
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mine — for digging
  24. sharp — exactly

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