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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: cold · vault · craft · fall · club · charge · lash · leaves

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cold — an illness
  5. club — for golf
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. charge — in control
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. craft — boats
  14. cold — not warm
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — for dancing
  17. vault — a safe
  18. charge — electricity
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — a group
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lash — to lash out

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