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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · drill · mate · vault · branch · bound · stand · court

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a partner
  4. drill — army training
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — to bear
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — a division
  11. bound — certain
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. court — of law
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. court — of a king

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