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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: chair · snap · stand · roll · temple · court · board · bound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. snap — to click
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. board — a committee
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. court — for sport
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — of a king
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — to get on
  21. bound — certain
  22. chair — a leader
  23. court — of law
  24. bound — obliged

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