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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: current · present · prune · kid · lash · pop · pass · bank

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — soda
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — electric
  13. kid — child
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pop — music
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — the fruit

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