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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: wind · plane · wake · mug · key · season · degree · track

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — in sport
  5. track — a song
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — a tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wake — a trail
  19. track — a path
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. key — for a lock

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