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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: face · content · lash · lie · spring · capital · calf · fine

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — a coil
  6. capital — money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. content — happy
  10. spring — of water
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. face — part of the head
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — a city
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. face — to point toward
  22. content — the amount
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — all right

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