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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: scale · cue · key · fall · land · patient · lean · trunk

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fall — the season
  11. lean — thin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — in music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — the most important part
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of a car

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