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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: snap · vault · club · bank · arm · craft · chair · last

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. craft — a skill
  4. last — final
  5. club — a group
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. last — to go on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — finally
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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