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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: stem · cap · bank · object · mine · fork · wind · nail

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. object — an aim
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — to come from
  18. object — to protest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wind — moving air

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