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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 120 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: saw · ball · drill · bat · rash · nail · present · staff

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. drill — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rash — a series
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — the time now
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. present — a gift
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — there
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. drill — a practice
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. staff — employees

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