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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 120 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 · rule · foot · row · cell · face

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. foot — a measure
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. row — to paddle
  8. vault — a safe
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cell — a phone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cell — in biology
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head

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