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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 116 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: chair · present · craft · cue · stand · wax · land · bound

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. land — to come down
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. present — a gift
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cue — a signal
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. cue — for pool
  15. present — there
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. craft — boats
  21. present — the time now
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chair — a professorship

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