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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: mouse · sharp · hide · rest · lash · hand · scale · rule

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — in music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — help
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rule — a law
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rule — government
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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