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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 120 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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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: press · court · mouse · calf · wax · suit · firm · branch

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. court — of a king
  8. firm — a company
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. court — of law
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. court — for sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. press — to push
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — to fit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — a division
  24. calf — a young animal

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