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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: fan · bore · face · mate · craft · mine · board · scale

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mate — a partner
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — boats
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — a committee
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — for weighing

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