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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.

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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: scale · bay · leaves · branch · pound · staff · wax · kick

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. staff — a stick
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. kick — in football
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — in music
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — a thrill

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