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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: ruler · vault · chair · staff · chip · cell · rule · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chip — for betting
  17. staff — employees
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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