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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: toast · ground · lean · deal · cold · bound · key · present

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. present — a gift
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. key — in music
  14. ground — a position
  15. cold — an illness
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — to bend
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — bread
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bound — tied together

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