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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: last · bore · nail · field · leaves · object · pass · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. last — to go on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. object — a thing
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. march — the month
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pass — a permit
  12. last — final
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. field — farmland
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. field — a subject
  20. object — to protest
  21. march — the month
  22. field — for sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — finally

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