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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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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: lean · field · pass · nail · march · bound · arm · mate

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — farmland
  4. bound — tied together
  5. march — music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lean — thin
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bound — certain

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