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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · lash · bore · season · rush · lie · club · fall

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — to recline
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bore — to tire
  14. season — in sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fall — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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