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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · jam · file · face · capital · lash · field · bear

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — farmland
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. field — for sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. capital — a city
  11. face — part of the head
  12. capital — money
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bear — the animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. file — a tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. file — a document
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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