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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: last · chip · bound · dip · lash · fork · firm · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. last — to go on
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — to sink
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chip — for betting
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — final
  13. firm — a company
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lash — to lash out

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