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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 · stem · degree · clip · can · track · plane · mark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — a video
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mark — a trace
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stem — to come from
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — a grade

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