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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: bound · wax · coach · net · march · calf · stand · rush

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — for catching
  20. wax — to grow
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. net — after costs
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stand — on your feet

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