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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · season · nail · branch · leaves · content · patient · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. face — to confront
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. face — part of the head
  7. branch — a division
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. season — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. season — of the year
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — to point toward
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. season — to add flavour

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