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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: net · face · nail · bay · season · bark · coach · patient

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. net — in sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — in sport
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. face — to confront
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — for catching
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — to shout
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — of the year
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. net — after costs
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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