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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: scale · spell · fall · pass · staff · press · face · trunk

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — part of the head
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — a permit
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spell — magic
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. press — newspapers
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. press — to push
  24. scale — in music

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