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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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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: fall · firm · dip · ruler · cell · foot · suit · spring

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. firm — a company
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — a phone
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. dip — to sink
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — the season
  19. firm — steady
  20. fall — to drop
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. firm — decided
  24. spring — of water

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