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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: pass · face · mug · firm · rest · saw · press · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rest — a break
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — to push
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. firm — steady
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mug — to rob
  13. firm — a company
  14. mug — a face
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — in cards
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — newspapers

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