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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · foot · cell · rush · mark · suit · ruler · band

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. 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. ruler — a monarch
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. foot — a measure
  5. band — a ring
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. band — a music group
  24. 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