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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: clip · bark · bank · vault · bay · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. craft — boats
  4. clip — a video
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bank — of a river
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bank — for money
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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