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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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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: kid · last · prune · coach · season · stem · present · pass

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — child
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. last — final
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — finally
  14. season — of the year
  15. present — the time now
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. present — there
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. last — to go on
  21. present — a gift
  22. season — in sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pass — to succeed

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