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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: chip · dip · can · ground · fork · wind · fall · arm

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — the earth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ground — a position
  15. fall — the season
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chip — to eat
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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