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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 · wax · branch · court · chest · bay · lie · charge

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. charge — in control

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