The Magazine for English Professionals - English Teachers ...

Homophones, Homonyms and
Homographs: some Exercises to Use
Straight Out of the Box
Homophones are words that sound the same
but are spelt differently, PIECE and PEACE,
for example. Now find the homophones that fit
into the following pairs of sentences:
1a. Although we were expecting them to be
late, they turned up right on ... .
1b. I’m afraid there’s rather a long ... so you’ll
just have to be a bit patient.
2a. Every night before I go to bed I ... for your
good health and happiness.
2b. A vulture is classified as a bird of ... .
3a. You seem to have a real ... for languages
and I’m sure you’ll make a fine linguist one
day.
3b. The survivors of the shipwreck sent up a
... from the lifeboat when they saw a plane
passing overhead.
4a. How can I know ... you’re telling me the
truth or not?
4b. You’re as changeable as the ... so I never
know what to expect.
5a. Knowing your illness isn’t as serious as
you had first thought it to be must be a great
... off your mind.
5b. I’m afraid there’s been a delay so you’ll
just have to be patient and ... a bit.
6a. Swimming here can be dangerous at
times because of the strong ... .
6b. Muesli is a breakfast cereal that contains
nuts and ... .
7a. Were you ... invited to the party or did you
find out about it purely by chance?
7b. He was ... a Cabinet Minister but now
works voluntarily for a charity for the homeless.
8a. If you put on your Wellington boots, you’ll
be able to ... through the stream and cross
over to the other side.
8b. When I ... myself after my holiday, I found
I’d put on three kilos and I needed to go on a
diet.
9a. Why do you moan and ... all the time?
What on earth’s wrong with you?
9b. How the children have ... since the last
time I saw them!
10a. They say all’s ... in love and war but I’m
not sure I agree.
10b. I wonder how much the return ... costs.
It’s likely to be little more than a single.
11a. Although the authorities tried to ... the
wreck from the seabed, unfortunately it
proved to be impossible.
11b. To protect you from the harmful ... of the
sun, you should wear a high factor suntan
lotion.
12a. It’s as plain as the ... on your face!
12b. Nobody ... the trouble I’ve seen!
13a. A word is enough to the ... .
13b. I don’t know all the ... and wherefores of
the situation, so I’m unable to comment on it,
I’m afraid.
14a. The trouble with you is that you can’t see
the ... for the trees.
14b. I ... if I could but I’m afraid I can’t.
15a. My next-door neighbour always ... into
my personal life and I find it really annoying.
15b. My flatmate won first ... in a Poetry
Competition.
16a. They say there’s no ... without gain and I
have to say I’ve found it to be true in my case.
16b. The ... of glass in the front window had to
be replaced.
ANSWERS: 1a. cue 1b. queue 2a. pray 2b.
prey 3a. flair 3b. flare 4a. whether
4b. weather 5a. weight 5b. wait 6a. currents
6b. currants 7a. formally 7b. formerly
8a. wade 8b. weighed 9a. groan 9b. grown
10a. fair 10b. fare 11a. raise 11b. rays
12a. nose 12b. knows 13a. wise 13b. whys
14a. wood 14b. would 15a. pries 15b. prize
16a. pain 16b. pane
Homonyms are words that are pronounced
the same but have different meanings, FINE
(adjective) and A FINE (noun), for example.
Now find the homonyms that fit into the
following pairs of sentences:
1a. If people are happy the way they are, we
should let sleeping dogs ... .
1b. If you ... when under oath, you can be
convicted of perjury.
MEMBER MIX
2a. Thread the cotton through the ... of the
needle, then you can start to sew.
2b. Please keep an ... on the children for me
to make sure they behave themselves.
3a. Every worker in the company has an
important ... to play to ensure its success.
3b. I hope we can stay together forever - till
death do us ..., as they say.
4a. I’m single and I live on my ... in a studio
flat.
4b. Everything I ... will go to my children when
I die because they are my sole heirs.
5a. If you want a ... with a sea view, then you
have to pay a supplement.
5b. There isn’t enough ... for all of us here so
I’m afraid you’ll have to find somewhere else
to stay.
6a. The doctor will try to ... the patient with
antibiotics to clear up the infection.
6b. On my birthday, as a special ..., my partner
brought me breakfast in bed.
7a. One ... doesn’t make a summer.
7b. When you’ve got a sore throat it’s difficult
to ... .
8a. If you exceed the speed limit, you have to
pay a ... .
8b. I’m feeling absolutely ... so please stop
worrying about me.
9a. If there was a General Election tomorrow,
which political ... would you vote for?
9b. I’d like to invite you to my birthday ... and I
hope you can come.
10a. To tell you the truth, you’re getting on my
nerves and I’ll be pleased to see the ... of you.
10b. If I’m going to stand up against the Director
of the company, I need to know that my
colleagues will ... me.
11a. Reserve team football matches are an
opportunity for coaches to ... new players.
11b. It was a gruesome sight at the scene of
the crime and it made my ... run cold.
12a. Are you going to ... the bill, or shall we go
Dutch this time?
12b. I decided not to bring the car and I came
on ... this time.
13a. All work and no ... makes Jack a dull boy.
ETAS Journal 25/1 Winter 2007 41