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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: key · saw · snap · craft · chest · present · arm · bank

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. key — in music
  4. present — there
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. present — the time now
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — of your body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. craft — a skill
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chest — a box

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