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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 120 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: chest · suit · pass · degree · track · press · wake · plane

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. suit — in cards
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. degree — an amount
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chest — a box
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. suit — to fit
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wake — a trail
  19. track — to keep track
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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