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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: wake · key · stand · degree · spell · mark · object · wound

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — letters
  19. degree — temperature
  20. key — the most important part
  21. object — an aim
  22. spell — a short time
  23. object — to protest
  24. degree — from a university

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