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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.

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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: mate · vault · cell · calf · face · rule · mark · stock

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. 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. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stock — goods
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mark — a grade
  9. face — to confront
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mate — a friend
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. face — to point toward
  24. 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