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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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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: lash · arm · nail · scale · suit · bat · saw · drill

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. suit — in cards
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. drill — army training
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. drill — a practice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. suit — clothes

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