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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: drill · ruler · object · stand · snap · swing · bat · club

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. object — an aim
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — a thing
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. drill — army training
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. drill — the tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stand — to bear
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — for golf
  24. swing — in golf

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