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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: wind · key · cabinet · chip · scale · hand · mouse · trunk

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hand — help
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. scale — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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