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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: file · chip · snap · race · roll · bank · bore · last

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to drill
  3. file — a line of people
  4. race — humankind
  5. bank — of a river
  6. race — the arms race
  7. file — a document
  8. last — finally
  9. roll — a cake
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bank — for money
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bore — to tire
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to click
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. chip — in a computer

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