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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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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: roll · current · patient · pass · temple · pound · mine · band

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — a weight
  9. current — happening now
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a music group
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. band — a ring
  19. roll — a list
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — for digging
  24. temple — a place of worship

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