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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: present · pass · prune · current · lean · cold · fine · season

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. current — happening now
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — electric
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. season — in sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. present — there
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lean — thin
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — of water
  24. fine — high quality

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