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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 · stand · rest · march · bound · wax · cue · court

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. court — of law
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — tied together
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of a king
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — to bear
  16. march — the month
  17. bound — certain
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cue — a hint
  22. court — for sport
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. vault — a safe

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