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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: leaves · staff · bark · foot · rock · lean · nail · scale

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. scale — size or range
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — thin
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — a stone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lean — to bend
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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