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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: bear · cold · key · mug · deal · lean · toast · tear

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bear — the animal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tear — to rip
  10. key — in music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — a face
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. toast — bread
  24. tear — from crying

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