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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: branch · press · calf · kid · wax · stick · lean · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lean — thin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. firm — decided
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. firm — a company
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kid — child
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a bank

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