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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · nail · track · tear · temple · hide · content · prune

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — happy
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — in sport
  7. track — to keep track
  8. net — for catching
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. net — after costs
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — the amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a path

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