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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: face · bay · cell · saw · scale · staff · press · pass

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — to push
  16. face — to confront
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cell — in biology
  23. staff — a stick
  24. scale — for weighing

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