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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: pass · prune · present · rest · spring · season · chest · bulb

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spring — of water
  12. chest — a box
  13. rest — a break
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pass — a permit
  18. spring — the season
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  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