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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: leaves · saw · present · content · patient · scale · stem · coach

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. content — happy
  5. present — the time now
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. present — a gift
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. present — there
  21. content — the amount
  22. scale — size or range
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stem — to come from

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