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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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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: foot · content · rule · vault · patient · last · track · face

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. face — to point toward
  3. track — a song
  4. face — part of the head
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. vault — a safe
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — a law
  10. content — happy
  11. face — to confront
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. track — a path
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. content — the amount
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. last — finally
  24. rule — government

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