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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: bore · stem · capital · wind · nail · wound · hide · mark

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stem — to come from
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mark — a trace
  23. capital — a city
  24. stem — a stem cell

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