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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: rush · fall · dip · coach · degree · scale · vault · lash

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. degree — from a university
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. degree — temperature
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — the season
  21. scale — in music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — a safe

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