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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 116 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: rush · tube · vault · fall · lash · lie · swing · mate

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — the season
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — to recline
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. swing — in golf
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — to drop

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