2.3 Homonyms | Exercise with Answers

Exercises with Answers:

1. Read the following sentences and write the meaning of the bolded words.

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. There is a fair Arts and Craft fair this weekend.
3. The woodcutter saw a huge saw in his dream.
4. Write the right answers on the right side.
5. The well was dug by a well-known king.
6. We have march past in March.
7. Can you get me a can?
8. How long will the live fish live without food?
9. She has tears in her eyes as she tears old photos.
10. I will be second in line if I wait one more second.

Answers:

1. wound - injury ; wound – past tense of wind
2. fair – beautiful ; fair – festival
3. saw – past tense of see ; saw – a device to cut wood
4. Right – opposite of wrong ; right - opposite of left
5. well – water source ; well – good

6. March – parading of soldiers ; March – the third month of the year
7. can – auxiliary verb ; can – container
8. live - alive (having life) ; live – living in a place
9. tears – salty water from eyes ; tears – pulling to pieces
10. second – a basic unit of time ; second – coming after first in sequence or order

2. Write a sentence of your own for each homonym.

1. Bright 2. Express 3. Kind 4. Well

Answers:

S.N	Word	Meaning	Sentence
1	Bright	very smart or intelligent	Adan is a bright boy in his class
1	Bright	filled with light	It was a bright morning
2	Express	something done fast	I came to Chennai by the express train
2	Express	convey	She expressed her grief openly
3	Kind	Type	There are many kinds of flowers here
3	Kind	Caring	She is a kind nurse
4	Well	in good health	I’m doing well
4	Well	water resource	I have deep well in my house.

3. Use the words given below in your own sentences so as to get different meanings.

Cricket, bank, will, bark, watch, bat

Answers:

Cricket	Cricket is a popular sport.
	Cricket is active at night. (Cricket insect)
Bank	I went to the bank to withdraw money.
	The river bank is polluted.
Will	Ceasar’s will was shown to the Romans
	I will clear this year’s TNPSC Exam.
Bark	Bogs bark loudly.
	The bark of the tree is used for medicine purposes.
Watch	I bought a watch.
	We will watch this year’s IPL in stadium.
Bat	I am afraid of bats.
	He hit the ball hard with his bat.

4. Complete the sentences by choosing a suitable word from those given in the brackets.

1. Nobody can say _______ there will be an improvement in the ________. (whether / weather)
2. Your ring is ______. Do not _____ it. (loose / lose)
3. We found a ________ of biscuits in the old man’s shirt ______. (pocket / packet)
4. When the pole vaulter cleared 28 ______, it was declared a record ______. (feet / feat)
5. Explain the ______ ‘Cut your ______ according to your cloth.’ (coat / quote)
6. The stranger _______ for a few minutes before he ______ my house. (paused / passed)
7. The _______ dancer turned _______ after the final performance. (weary / wiry)
8. The chain that I presented to my sister was not made of gold; it was just _______. I am suffering from a sense of _______. (guilt / gilt)

Answer:

1. Nobody can say whether there will be an improvement in the weather.
2. Your ring is loose. Do not lose it.
3. We found a packet of biscuits in the old man’s shirt pocket.
4. When the pole vaulter cleared 28 feet, it was declared a record feat.
5. Explain the quote ‘Cut your coat according to your cloth.’
6. The stranger paused for a few minutes before he passed my house.
7. The weary dancer turned wiry after the final performance.
8. The chain that I presented to my sister was not made of gold; it was just gilt. I am suffering from a sense of guilt.

5. Form meaningful sentences using the given words to bring out at least two different meanings.

1. train 2. tear 3. wind 4. light 5. file 6. bear

Answers:

Train	She caught the train to the city just in time. (rail transport)
	You need to train regularly if you want to run the marathon. (to practice or prepare)
Tear	A tear rolled down her cheek during the emotional speech. (drop of liquid from the eye)
	Be careful not to tear the paper while opening the envelope. (rip)
Wind	The wind was so strong it knocked over the chairs. (moving air)
	Please wind the clock before you go to bed. (to turn something around)
Light	The room was filled with light from the morning sun. (brightness)
	This bag is very light, I can carry it with one hand. (not heavy)
File	I need to file my documents in the cabinet. (organize/store)
	The dentist used a file to smooth the sharp tooth edges. (a tool for smoothing)
Bear	I saw a bear in the forest during our hike. (the animal)
	I can’t bear this pain any longer. (to tolerate)

6. Write two sentences each to bring out the different meanings of the word.

Bow	Sole	Band	Fair	Digest	Match	Row	pen	Ground	Tip
Fit	Change	Club	May	Safe	Content	Ball	Bore	Toast	Fire

Answers:

S.N	Word	Sentence
1	Bow	She tied her hair with a pink bow. (a decorative knot)
		The archer drew his bow and aimed at the target. (weapon for shooting arrows)
2	Sole	The sole of my shoe is worn out. (bottom part of a shoe)
		He is the sole owner of the business. (only one)
3	Band	The band played lively music at the wedding. (musical group)
		She wore a gold band on her finger. (circular object, often jewellery)
4	Fair	She has a fair complexion. (light-colored or just)
		We went to the science fair at school. (event or exhibition)
5	Digest	It took hours to digest that heavy meal. (break down food)
		I read a short digest of the novel before the test. (summary)
6	Match	They played an exciting football match. (game)
		This shirt doesn’t match your pants. (go well with)
7	Row	They had a loud row over the budget. (argument – British usage)
		Let’s row the boat across the lake. (paddle a boat)
8	Pen	I wrote the note with a blue pen. (writing tool)
		The sheep were kept in a pen on the farm. (enclosure)
9	Fit	This dress doesn’t fit me anymore. (size compatibility)
		He had a fit of laughter during the show. (sudden outburst)
10	Change	I need to change my clothes before dinner. (switch or replace)
		Do you have change for a five-dollar bill? (coins or small money)

11	Club	He joined a tennis club last summer. (organization)
		The caveman carried a heavy club. (blunt weapon)
12	May	You may leave early today. (permission)
		May is a beautiful month for a wedding. (month of the year)
13	Safe	Keep the documents in a safe. (secure box)
		She was declared safe after the accident. (free from danger)
14	Content	He seemed content with his exam results. (satisfied)
		The content of the book is interesting. (what’s inside)
15	Ball	The children played with a rubber ball. (round object for games)
		They attended a royal ball at the palace. (formal dance)
16	Bore	The lecture really bore me to tears. (made me bored)
		The machine can bore a hole through metal. (drill or pierce)
17	Ground	The plane returned to the ground safely. (surface of the earth)
		He was grounded for breaking curfew. (punished or restricted)
18	Tip	Leave a tip for the waiter. (gratuity)
		The tip of the pencil broke off. (pointed end)
19	Toast	We made a toast to their success. (ceremonial drink)
		I had buttered toast for breakfast. (toasted bread)
20	Fire	The fire spread rapidly through the building. (flames)
		The manager had to fire two employees. (dismiss from job)

7. Read the passage and fill the blanks with correct homophones.

The 1____________ (weather/whether) was horrible outside. The wind was blowing stronger and faster. The wind 2____________ (howled/hauled) with a terrible noise. Vicky 3__________ (new/knew) that he had to find his dog Sam. He could 4___________ (barley/barely) walk in the wind but he did not give up. Suddenly, he 5____________ (heard/herd) the dog 6_________ (wine / whine). He whirled around and found it inside a drain. He quickly snatched him and went into the house.

Answers:
1. weather 2. howled 3. knew 4. barely 5. heard 6. whine

8. Explain the difference between these words by making sentences.

see/sea	knight/night	right/write	arms/alms	fair/fare
here/hear	heard/herd	our/hour	no/know	not/knot

Answers:
1. Can you see the birds flying over the sea?
2. The knight came to the city at night.
3. Babu writes his rights as a citizen of India.
4. A beggar who did not have an arm asked for alms.
5. I spent rupees five as bus fare and went to the village fair.
6. She came here to hear the sweet songs of her sister.
7. The herd of cattle heard the chiming of church bells.
8. Only one hour is more to finish our test.
9. I know that no one can help me if I do not study well
10. I could not free the knot of the rope.

9. Pick out the correct homophone.
1. I am not ______ to drink soda. (aloud, allowed)
2. The wind ________ the leaves. (blue, blew)
3. I will __________ my friend. (meat, meet)
4. He will play the _________ in the second play. (role, roll)
5. I have _________ the movie already. (scene, seen)

Answers
1. allowed 2. blew 3. meet 4. role 5. Seen

10. Choose the correct homophone.
1. Every morning my father likes to look at the ________ on the grass. a) due b) dew
2. Chennai is the ________ of Tamilnadu. a) capitol b) capital
3. I was very ________ last weekend because my friends went to the village without informing me.
a) bored b) board
4. The cat caught the _______ of a mouse. a) scent b) cent
5. The _______ rises in the east. a) son b) sun

Answers:
1. (b) dew 2. (b) capital 3. (a) bored 4. (a) scent 5. (b) sun

11. Find the homophones for the given words.
In, Know, Be, To, Watt, Right, Were, Bare, Herd, Throne

Answers
1. In – Inn

2. Know – No

3. Be – Bee

4. To – Two

5. Watt – What

6. Right – Write

7. Were – Where

8. Bare – Bear

9. Herd – Heard

10. Throne – Thrown

12. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct options given.
1. Niteesh bought a ……………. (knew/ new) cricket bat.
2. The shepherd …………………….. (herd/heard) the cry of his sheep.
3. Lakshmi completed her baking ………………….. (course/coarse) successfully.
4. Priya has broken her …………….. (four/fore) limbs.
5. Leaders of the world must work towards the …………….. (peace/piece) of human race.

Answers
1. new 2. heard 3. course 4. fore 5. Peace

13. Finding the meaning of both the words given in the boxes.

Pocket, Packet Fond, Found Lost, Last Paused, Passed Pitcher, Picture

Answers:
1. Pocket(n) – a small bag sewn into or on clothing to keep carry small things
Packet (n) – a paper or cardboard container, typically one in which goods are sold
2. Fond(adj.) – having an affection or liking for
Found(v) – having been discovered by chance or unexpectedly
3. Lost (v) – to lose something, unable to find
Last (adj) – the final in position
4. Paused (v) – stop
Passed (v) – cross, go by, get through
5. Pitcher (n) – container
Picture (n) – A drawing of a thick scene / people or printed design of art

14. Fill in the blanks with suitable homophones:

1. brake / break	a) We have a short ___________ between the sessions. b) The car skidded to a halt when I applied the ___________.
2. waste/waist	a) Shivani wears a belt around her ___________. b) We should never misuse or ___________natural resources.
3. principle/principal	a) Oxygen is the ___________ element present in the earth’s crust. b) Both these machines work on the same ___________.
4. bread/bred	a) Turtles should be ___________ in a healthy environment. b) I like to have toasted ___________ for breakfast.
5. lesson/lessen	a) This medicine will ___________ your pain. b) Finally, the manager learnt a ___________ the hard way.
6. pale/pail	a) The child looks very sick and ___________. b) I need a ___________ of water to wash these cups.
7. through/threw	a) Ravi picked the banana peel and ___________ it in the dustbin. b) The soldiers had to pass ___________ a dark tunnel.
8. corps/corpse	a) The ___________ was covered with a shroud. b) A five-day annual training camp for the senior cadets of the National Cadet ___________ has been organised.

Answers:

1. brake / break	a) We have a short break between the sessions. b) The car skidded to a halt when I applied the brake.
2. waste/waist	a) Shivani wears a belt around her waist. b) We should never misuse or waste natural resources.
3. principle/principal	a) Oxygen is the principal element present in the earth’s crust. b) Both these machines work on the same principle.
4. bread/bred	a) Turtles should be bred in a healthy environment. b) I like to have toasted bread for breakfast.
5. lesson/lessen	a) This medicine will lessen your pain. b) Finally, the manager learnt a lesson the hard way.
6. pale/pail	a) The child looks very sick and pale. b) I need a pail of water to wash these cups.
7. through/threw	a) Ravi picked the banana peel and threw it in the dustbin. b) The soldiers had to pass through a dark tunnel.
8. corps/corpse	a) The corpse was covered with a shroud. b) A five-day annual training camp for the senior cadets of the National Cadet Corps has been organised.

15. Given below is a list of common confusable. Distinguish the meaning of each pair of words by framing your own sentences.

Emigrate – Immigrate ; Beside – Besides ; Judicial – Judicious ; Eligible – Illegible ;
Conscience – Conscious ; Industrial – Industrious ; Eminent – Imminent ; Illicit – Elicit ;
Prescribed – Proscribed ; Affect – Effect ; Aural – Oral ; Born – Borne ;

Answers

Emigrate – Immigrate	He plans to emigrate from India to Canada next year. (leave one country) My grandparents immigrated to Australia in the 1960s. (come into a new country)
Beside – Besides	She sat beside her best friend during the ceremony. (next to) Besides English, he speaks Spanish and French. (in addition to)
Judicial – Judicious	The judicial system ensures justice is served. (relating to courts/law) She made a judicious decision by saving her money. (wise or sensible)
Eligible – Illegible	He is eligible to vote since he turned 18. (qualified to do something) The handwriting on this form is illegible. (not readable)
Conscience – Conscious	Always listen to your conscience when making tough choices. (moral sense) She was barely conscious after fainting. (awake/aware)
Industrial – Industrious	The city is known for its industrial growth. (relating to industry) Riya is an industrious student who always completes her work. (hard-working)
Eminent – Imminent	Dr. Kalam was an eminent scientist and leader. (famous/respected) The dark clouds suggest a storm is imminent. (about to happen soon)
Illicit – Elicit	The police cracked down on illicit drug trade. (illegal) Her speech managed to elicit strong emotions from the audience. (draw out, evoke)
Prescribed – Proscribed	The doctor prescribed medicine for her allergy. (recommended officially) The school has proscribed the use of mobile phones in class. (forbidden)
Affect – Effect	Pollution can affect your health. (to influence) The new law had a positive effect on the economy. (result or outcome)
Aural – Oral	The students took an aural test to check their listening skills. (relating to hearing) She gave an oral presentation on climate change. (spoken, verbal)
Born – Borne	He was born in Mumbai in 1995. (given birth to) The pain was borne with great courage. (endured, carried)

16. Fill suitable homophones or confusable.

Wallet	Hoard	Fairy	Desert	Medal	Night	Wait
Sweet	Yoke	Plain	Grown	Might	Earn	Quite

Answers:

Word	Homophone / Confusable	Explanation
Wallet	Valet	Wallet – Purse ; Valet – Valet Praking.
Hoard	Horde	Hoard – store up; Horde – a large group (usually of people).
Fairy	Ferry	Fairy – magical being; Ferry – boat transport.
Desert	Dessert	Desert – dry land; Dessert – sweet food after a meal.
Medal	Meddle / Metal / Mettle	Medal – award; Meddle – interfere; Metal – material; Mettle – spirit/courage.
Night	Knight	Night – time after sunset; Knight – medieval warrior.
Wait	Weight	Wait – delay; Weight – heaviness.
Sweet	Suite	Sweet – sugary or kind; Suite – a set of rooms or musical pieces.
Yoke	Yolk	Yoke – harness for oxen; Yolk – yellow of an egg.
Plain	Plane	Plain – simple or flat land; Plane – aircraft or a tool.
Grown	Groan	Grown – matured; Groan – sound of pain or annoyance.
Might	Mite	Might – power or possibility; Mite – tiny creature.
Earn	Urn	Earn – to receive as payment; Urn – a vase or container.
Quite	Quiet	Quite – very; Quiet – silence.

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