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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: safe · snap · cabinet · key · wound · cap · pitch · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — in music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. snap — to click
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cabinet — ministers

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