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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.

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: nail · rash · drill · swing · saw · fall · club · bat

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rash — a series
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. club — a group
  9. rash — hasty
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. drill — army training
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — music
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bat — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. club — for golf
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rash — on the skin

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