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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: face · rule · roll · ruler · cell · stand

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. roll — a list
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — government
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rule — a law
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ruler — for measuring

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