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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.

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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: hide · cabinet · snap · scale · patient · arm · nail · bay

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. scale — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — size or range
  17. snap — to click
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — for weighing
  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