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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: bass · spell · rock · last · fall · season · perch · rest

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fall — the season
  6. season — of the year
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — final
  10. rest — a break
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — a stone
  13. last — to go on
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — finally
  16. spell — letters
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — low music
  20. rock — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spell — magic
  24. bass — the instrument

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