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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 116 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: patient · cabinet · key · rash · snap · trunk · scale · content

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — a series
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. scale — size or range
  5. content — happy
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — hasty
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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