@ Homonyms Homonyms are words like fare and fair, which sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings; or words like desert (a dry place) and desert (to run away from something), which have the same spelling but sound different and have different meanings. Homonyms like fare and fair are also called homophones because they sound the same. Homonyms like desért and desert are also called homographs because they look the same. Some homonyms like bow (to bend over) and bow (the front of a boat) are both homophones and homographs. The word homonym means ‘the same name’ (homo, the same; nym, name); the word homophone means ‘the same sound’ (homo, the same; phone, » sound); the word homograph means ‘the same writing’ (homo, the same; graph, writing). For convenience, we will call them al! homonyms. Below is a useful list of homonyms. {tis not exhaustive; there are many more, but these are some of the most common. allowed aloud allowed The past tense and past participle of the verb to allow. | allowed them to come in. aloud An adverb meaning ‘to speak audibly or to cry out’. He cried aloud with pain. aren't aunt aren't The contraction of are not. They aren‘t coming to the picnic. aunt A noun—a female relative, the sister of your mother or father. My aunt lives in Perth. band banned band A noun—a company or crowd and often musicians. It also means a strip of material used to bind things together. ‘The band played ‘Waltzing Matilda’. The papers were held with a rubber band. An adjective meaning ‘forbidden’ He was banned from playing for two weeks. Past tense of the verb to ban. They banned him for seven matches.bare bare bear bear base base base bass be be bee bean bean been berry berry bury berth berth berth birth bear An adjective meaning ‘uncovered’. Ihad bare feet, Anoun—an animal, A polar bear is white. A verb meaning ‘to carry, hold up or put up with’, Iwill bear the weight. # cannot bear the pain. bass A noun—the bottom part of a thing. the base of the iff. Anoun—headquarters. army base A noun—the lowest musical pitch. bee A verb—to exist. | will be home at eight o'clock, A noun—an insect. The bee buzzed around on the bottlebrush flowers. been A noun—an edible vegetable. Abean is green. The past participle of the verb to be. Ihave been to see him. bury Anoun—a small fruit. late a red berry. Avverb meaning ‘to cover in the ground’. My dog likes to bury his bone. birth Anoun—a place where you sleep in a boat or train; a place where a ship ties up at a dock. A verb meaning ‘to tie up at a wharf or dock’. ‘The ship berthed at Dock 14. A noun—the process of being born.bight bight bite bite byte blew blew blue blue board board bored boarder boarder border border bough bough bow bow bite byte A noun—an indentation in the coastline. The Great Australian Bight Anouné a big bite of pie Averb to bite a piece of pie A noun—a unit of information stored by a computer, blue The past tense of the verb to blow. | blew the trumpet. An adjective a blue sweater A noun—the name of the colour. Blue is my favourite colour. You can also feel blue when you are unhappy. bored Anoun—a flat piece of wood; the name of a group of people who are in charge of some activity. The board of the company met monthly. The past tense of the verb to bore meaning ‘to make a hole’, The machine bored a hole. It can also mean ‘to make someone lose interest’. The movie bored them. border ‘Anoun—someone who lives at school, or someone who pays to live at a place. Anoun—the edge or side of a thing. A verb meaning ‘to form the edge of a thing’. The new property will border our place. bow (they both rhyme with cow) Anoun—the limb of a tree. A noun—to take a bow; also the front of a boat. Averb meaning ‘to bend over’. The actor will bow to the audience.chord chord cord cite sight site coarse coarse course course council council counsel counsel creak creak creak cord A noun—a musical term. a C major chord Anoun—something used to tie things together. a pyjamatcord sight site A verb—to summons to court; to quote a book or author. She was able to cite many examples to support her argument. Anoun—the ability to see. My uncle has lost his sight. A noun—a place occupied by a specific subject. This block of land is the site of my new house. A verb—to locate, place. It is hoped to site the house on this level area. course An adjective meaning ‘thick or rough’ (coarse fabric); ‘rude or offensive’ (coarse language). Anoun that has many meanings. golf course soup for the first course @ course of lessons The ship's course was north. An adverb in the phrase of course’. counsel Anoun—a group of men and women who make decisions as a group. My dad works for the local council. A noun—advice given after much careful thought. My grandfather gave me wise counsel Avverb meaning ‘to advise and recommend’. Pupils should counsel with their teachers. creek Anoun—a squeaky sound. A verb meaning ‘to make @ squeaky sound’. The door creakadcurrant currant current current days days daze daze dear dear deer desert desert desert desert dessert dew dew due die die current Anoun—a dried fruit. Anoun—a flow of water, electricity or air. susnuouopy An adjectiye meaning ‘belonging to the present; happening at this moment’. a current issue daze Anoun—the plural of day. the days of the week Avverb meaning ‘to stun, confuse or bewilder’. He was dazed by the blow. * Anoun. to be in a daze deer An adjective meaning ‘greatly loved’; ‘costing too much’; ‘respected’. my dear friend a very dear cut of meat Dear Sir Anoun—an animal. dessert Announ (with stress on the first syllable—dés.ert)—a dry place. An adjective desert region A verb (with stress on the second syllable—de.sért) meaning ‘to run away from or leave something’. Do not desert your post. A noun—sweets at the end of a meal. We had apple pie for dessert. due Anoun—small drops of water on the grass. An adjective meaning ‘ready to arrive’ or ‘expected’. The train dye Averb meaning ‘to stop living’.ie dye draw draw draw drawer ewe i j i ewe i you fair fair fare fate fate fete father father farther feat feat feet find find Averb meaning ‘change the colour’. Will you dye your old coat? drawer Averb meaning ‘to make a picture with a pen or pencil’. Anoun—a game that ends with both sides having equal scores. y Anoun—a box that slides in and out of a desk or cupboard. a chest of drawers yew you A noun—a female sheep. A noun—a type of tree. . A pronoun, second person singular or plural personal. You are my friend. fare An adjective meaning ‘light in colour’. fair hair It can also mean ‘honest’. fair play ‘A noun—what you pay on a train, bus or ferry. a three dollar fare It can also mean ‘food and drink’, plain fare fete ‘A noun—the cause of things beyond your control. It was fate that brought us together. Anoun—a fair where people raise money. The school fete was a financial success farther Anoun—a male parent. An adverb referring to a greater distance. Iran farther than you. feet A noun—a deed of great skill, courage or strength. ‘Anoun—you have two of them. fined Averb meaning ‘to locate’.fined flour flour flower flower for for fore four four foul foul foul foul fowl grate grate grate great groan groan Past tense of the verb to fine—to punish by having to pay money. He was fined $100 for a traffic offence. flower Anoun—a powder made from crushed grain. Wholemeal flour is good for you. A noun—the blossom of a plant. Avverb meaning ‘to burst into flower’. fore four A preposition Isent for my servant. Anoun—towards the front. to the fore Anoun—the number 4. ‘An adjective describing the number of things four calling birds fowl An adjective meaning ‘nasty, dirty, unpleasant’. a foul taste A.verb meaning ‘to catch or jam’. to foul the propeller of a boat A noun—a breach of a rule in sport. That's a foul! Anoun—a bird, especially a chicken. great ‘A noun—part of a fireplace or a screen made by a framework of bars. There was a little grate near the bottom of the door. A verb meaning ‘to make into smaller portions by rasping or rubbing against a rough surface’. ‘Thomas liked to grate carrots. His sister Natalie fiked to grate cheese. An adjective meaning ‘big, large, important’. They had a great time at the picnic. grown Anoun—a sound expressing pain or dismay.grown grown hall halll haul haul heal heal heel heel he'll hear hear here heard heard herd higher higher higher hire hire him ‘The past participle of the verb to grow. Ihave grown two centimetres. An adjective a grown man haul * A noun—a corridor, passage or large room. assembly hall Anoun—an amount taken at one time. a haul of fish . Averb meaning ‘to pull hard’. heel he'll . Averb meaning ‘to make well or cure’. Anoun—the back of your foot. Averb meat 9 ‘follow close at the heels’. The contracted form of he will here Averb you hear with your ear An adverb of place Come here! herd The past tense and past participle of the verb to hear. Theard you Anoun—a large group of animals. hire An adjective meaning ‘more high’. a higher jump An adverb meaning ‘more high’. He jumped higher. Both are comparative degree. Avverb meaning ‘to pay money to use or employ’. to hire a boat Anoun for hire hymnhymn hoarse hoarse horse hole hole whole holy holy wholly hour hour our inn its it's key kev Anoun—a religious song. horse An adjective meaning ‘rough or croaky’. He has a hoarse voice. Anoun—a four-legged animal. whole . Anoun—an opening in something. An adjective meaning ‘all of a thing’. He ate the whole cake. wholly An adjective meaning ‘sacred or religious’. aholy person An adverb of degree meaning ‘completely’. He was wholly covered by the water. our A noun—refers to time. a full hour A possessive adjective Our book is on the table. inn A preposition He was in the pool. ‘An adverb Come in. An adjective an in group Anoun—a place to stay. They pulled up at the inn. it’s A possessive adjective or possessive pronoun Its feathers were grey. That is its nest. its does not have an apostrophe when used this way. A contraction meaning ‘it is’. The apostrophe is needed to show that a letter has been left out. It's raining today. quay Anoun—onvens a lock.knew knew new knight knight night knot knot knot not know know no lead lead lead led loan loan lone made made maid mail new The past tense of the verb to know, An adjective describing something that has just arrived or has just been bought or made. night Anoun—a nobleman who served the king in medieval ‘times; a person who has been knighted and is called Sir; a chess piece. Anoun—comes after day. not ‘A noun—what you tie with string or other material, A verb meaning ‘totiea knot. Knot the rope so it will not slip. A negative adverb Iwill not do it, no A ver meaning 'to understand’, I know where he's hiding, The opposite of yes. He had no shoes to wear, led Announ (rhymes with head)—a heavy, grey metal. Itwas as heavy as fead. Averb (rhymes with feed) meaning ‘to go in front’. You lead and !'ll follow. The past tense and past participle of the verb to lead (pronounced like bead). He led the team onto the field. lone A noun—something you give for a short time. I gave him a toan. An adjective describing something by itself. the lone ranger mai The past tense or past participle of the verb to make. They made a kite. Anoun—an unmarried woman or a female servant. malemail mail male male main mane mare mare mayor meat meat meet medal medal meddle meter meter metre miner miner minor minor minute minute A verb meaning ‘to send things by post’, | will mail the letter. An adjective mail delivery Anoun—male gender as opposed to female. An adjective ’ The male lyrebird has a beautiful tail. mane An adjective meaning ‘the biggest or most important’. The main road is very tong. A noun—the largest pipe in a gas or water system. A noun—the long hair on the neck of a horse or other animal such as a lion. . mayor Anoun—a female horse. Anoun—the head of a city. meet A noun—the flesh of an animal. ‘A. verb meaning ‘to come face to face with someone’, meddle A noun—a badge or cross given as a prize or asa reward for bravery. A verb meaning ‘to interfere’. Don’t meddle in my affairs. metre ‘A noun—device that measures things that have passed through it. water meter parking meter Anoun—a measurement of length. This stick is one metre long. or Anoun—one who mines. It is also a type of bird. An adjective meaning ‘smaller in size or importance’. The actor had a minor part. ‘A noun—someone who is not an adult. minute Anoun (pronounced min.et. with the stress on the first -swuhwowoyfo cen rata rnnee teen a el tt Tae yee UE minute missed missed mist morn mom mourn naval naval navel new night no not oar oar or ore one one one won our pain An adjective (pronounced my.nyoot, with the stress on the last syllable) meaning ‘very tiny’. It was a minute creature. mist The past tense or past participle of the verb to miss. | missed the bus. Ihave missed the bus. Anoun—tike a fog. mourn Anoun—a short form of morning. verb meaning ‘to feel sad or show sorrow over someone's death’, . navel An adjective meaning ‘to do with the navy’. a naval uniform Anoun—the small hollow in the middie of your stomach, It is where you were attached to your mother before you were born, knew (see knew new) knight (see knight night) know (see know no) knot (see knot not) or ore Anoun You row a boat with oars. Aconjunction expressing choice. ‘oranges or lemons A noun—a rock that contains valuable metal. won Anoun—the number 1, An adjective late one apple. The past tense or past participle of the verb to win. 1 won the race, ' have won a trip to Tahiti hour (see hour our)pain pane pair pair pare pear passed passed past patience patience patients paw paw poor poor pore pore pour peace ‘Averb meaning ‘to cause pain or sufferin it pains me to tell you Anoun—a sheet of glass in a window. x a window pane = pare pear in ‘A noun—two things that go together. Two gloves or shoes form a pai A verb meaning ‘to cut back or trim away’, Anoun—a fruit. past ‘The past tense or past participle of the verb,to pass. He passed everyone in the race. Ihave passed my examination. ‘Announ; adjective; adverb; preposition. a long time ago in the distant past (noun) ements are amazing, {adjective} His past act He went past. ladverb] I walked past the window. [preposition] patients ‘A noun—what you have when you wait without complaining. ‘A noun—the plural of patient, someone being treated medically. The doctor's waiting room was full of patients. poor pore pour Anoun—the foot of an animal with nails or claws. ‘An adjective meaning ‘having little money’ a poor person ‘Anoun—poor people as a group. ‘The poor need assistance. ‘A noun—a tiny opening in the skin. A verb meaning ‘to study something carefully’. to pore over a book ‘A. verb meaning ‘to make something flow’, I will pour the milk. piecepiece piece plain plain plain plane practice practise principal principal principal principle quay rain rain rain A noun—a part. a piece of pie Itcan also mean ‘a single thing’. a piece of fruit Averb meaning ‘to fit together’, to piece a jigsaw together plane ~ Anoun—a large, flat area of land. a grassy plain An adjective meaning ‘clear and simple; not beautifut. a plain statement a plain face A noun—the abbreviated form of aeroplane. the plane to Melbourne Also a tool used in woodworking. a smoothing plane Avverb meaning ‘to make smooth’. He planed the timber, practise A noun (the ‘c’ in practice always tells you it is a noun)— a thing you do over and over, or the usual way of doing something, | went to football practice. It is the best practice. A.verb (the ‘s' in practise always tells you that it is a verb) Meaning ‘to do something over and over’. ‘will practise my tennis. principle Anoun—the head of a school or other institution, An adjective meaning ‘the main person or thing’. the principal actor on the stage Anoun—a rule or something you believe is right. He had the highest principles. key (see key quay) reign rein Anoun—water from the sky. A verb meaning ‘to fall from the sky in drops’. It rained all day.read read red red read read reed teal real ‘Anoun—a leather strap used to guide or drive a horse. He held the reins in his hand. wrap Anoun—a sharp, short knock. A verb meaning ‘to make a sharp, short knock’ to rap off the door An adjective describing a form of dancing and music. rap dancing Avverb meaning ‘to cover’, | will wrap the present. A noun—a covering. roar . An adjective meaning ‘not cooked’ or ‘not trained’. raw meat raw recruit ‘A noun—a loud, deep sound, alion’s roar A verb meaning ‘to make a loud, deep sound’. The lion roared, red The past tense and past participle of the verb to read. I read the book yesterday. Anoun—the name of the colour. An adjective The girl had red hair. reed A verb—to get meaning from the printed word. He could read at six. A noun—an aquatic plant. He pulled a reed out of the creek reel ‘An adjective meaning ‘the genuine thing’. areal life story ‘A noun~something you wind things onto; a Scottish dance, ‘A verb meaning ‘to wind in’; ‘to stagger or sway’ te writeright right rite write ring ring wring toad road rode rowed root root route row row row row sail sail sale An adverb Turn right at the next corner. Anoun—a fair claim. You have a right to enter. Anoun—e ceremony, usually religious. Averb meaning ‘to make letters or words with a pen, pencil or other device’, wring A noun—a circular band such as a wedding ring, or anything shaped like a ring. a key ring, a circus ring, a boxing ring A verb meaning ‘to squeeze’. Vil wring your neck if you don't behave! rode rowed ‘A noun—a track for people to travel along. The past tense of the verb to ride. rode the horse yesterday. The past tense of the verb to row. We rowed in the regatta. route Anoun—the part of a plant that grows in the soil. A noun—the way you take to go from one place to another. ‘This is the bus route. row Arnoun (rhymes with so)—a line of things. a row of birds on the fence Avverb (rhymes with so) to row a boat Announ (rhymes with cow)—a noisy quarrel. sale Anoun the sail of a boat Avverb meaning ‘to move over water, usually in a craft’ I sail every Saturday. Anoun—where you go to buy things cheaply.sauce source saw saw saw saw soar sore sore scene scene seen sea sea see seam seam seem seas seas sees source A noun—what you pour on a pie. ‘A noun—the place where something starts. The source of the river is in the mountains. soar sore * A noun—a tool with sharp teeth. A verb describing what you do with a saw. Iwill saw the wood. The past tense of the verb to see. Isaw the movie, ‘Averb meaning ‘to fly upward or float in the sky’. to soar like an eagle An adjective meaning ‘painful’ She has a sore foot. Anoun a sore on your leg seen ‘Anoun—the place in which the action of a play takes place; a portion of a play. The scene was a darkened dungeon. Past tense of the verb to see. Have you seen the way | dance? see A noun—a large stretch of water. Averb describing what your eyes do. seem A noun—where two pieces of cloth are joined. ‘A verb meaning ‘to appear to be’. They seem happy. sees seize Anoun—the plural of sea. ‘A verb—part of the verb to see. He sees the train coming.Ni hd he aad, sell sent serial sew sew so sow sow shear shear sheer side side sighed sight some some sum son son cell (see cell sell) cent scent (see cent sent scent) cereal (see cereal serial) so sow A verb meéning ‘to join with stitches’. ‘An adverb that has many meanings, Here are some: Do not walk so fast. Is that so? You are so kind. . Aver meaning ‘to spread seeds on the earth’. Announ (rhymes with cow)—a female pig, sheer A verb meaning ‘to cut the hair or wool from an animal’. it is time to shear the sheep. The plural, shears, is a noun meaning ‘the large clippers used to cut the wool’, ‘An adjective meaning ‘very thin, so that you can see through’. sheer curtains It also means ‘complete or absolute’ sheer luck It can mean ‘very steep’ as well. a sheer drop sighed Anoun—the edges of an object; a position. She touched the side of the car. Past tense of the verb to sigh. He sighed, he cried and nearly died. site cite (see cite sight site) sum An adjective that does not tell exactly how many or how much. There are some apples in the basket. There is some mud on your shoes. Anoun—a total. the sum of all these numbers sun A noun—the male child of someone.stair stair stare stake stake steak stalk stalk stalk stork stationary stationary stationery steal steal steel steel steel storey storey story straight straight strait tail tail anUOULOLY stare ‘Anoun—one of a number of steps. ‘A verb meaning ‘to look at someone or something for 8 long time’. steak Ss ‘A noun—a stick you can push into the ground. i ‘noun thick piece of meat or fish for griling or frying stork ‘A noun—the stem of a plant. mt ‘A verb meaning ‘to follow something very quietly’. ‘The lion stalks its prey. Anoun—a bird with long legs. stationery . ‘An adjective describing something that is still, The stork was stationary. ‘A noun—writing paper and other writing material. The stationer sells stationery. i steel i ‘Averb meaning ‘to take something that does not belong to you’. ‘Anoun-a tough material made from iron and other things. | An adjective asteel helmet Averb meaning ‘to harden’. Steel yourself; they're attacking. story ‘Anoun—one whole level of a building, Anoun—etale. He told us an exciting story. strait ‘An adjective meaning ‘not bent or crooked’ ‘honest! or bell ‘serious’. mil ‘A noun—a narrow channel joining two bodies of water. Vt Bass Strait. vil tale ty Anoun Bey A dog has a tail.fT tear tear tear tear their their there they're ‘theirs theirs there's threw threw ‘through tide to to too tear Anoun (rhymes with dear)—what rolls from your eyes when you cry, Anoun (rhymes with bear)—a rip in something. a tear in his pants A verbi(rhymes with bear) meaning ‘to rip something’ She could tear her dress if she climbed that fence. there they're A possessive adjective used to show that something belongs to more than one person. Their noses are cold. An adverb meaning ‘in that place’ It is over there, The contraction of they are, They’re coming to see us. there's A possessive pronoun. Our project is great. Theies is rubbish. The contraction of there is. There's a cow in the front garden. through The past tense of the verb to throw. Jenny threw the ball further than |, Often a preposition beginning a phrase. The ship passed through the canal tide The past tense and past participle of the verb to tie. | ted the horse to the gate. J have tied my shoelace with @ double knot, A noun—the rise and fail of the ocean too two A preposition meaning ‘towards’. Come to me. They ran to the fence, to is also part of the infinitive of verbs. to eat, to sleep, An adverb meaning ‘also’. He came, too.wait wait weight ware ware wear where way way weigh Anoun—the number 2 An adjective ‘two brown cows tow Anoun. You have five toesjat the end of each foot. ‘Averb. You tow something if you drag it along using a rope or chain. whale ‘Averb meaning ‘to make a long, mournful cry’. ‘A noun—a large mammal that lives in the sea. waste * ‘A noun—the middle part of your body, just above your hips. ‘Averb meaning ‘to use something in an extravagant way’. Don't waste water! Anoun ‘They collected their waste. An adjective He is a waste collector. weight Averb meaning ‘to stay somewhere’. Wait at the bus stop. A noun—e measure of heaviness. What is the weight of this bag? wear where A noun—goods that a merchant sells. It is often plural and often joined to other words, for example hardware. Dad bought a new trowel at the hardware shop. Avverb meaning ‘to be dressed in something’. Did you wear your new suit? ‘An adverb or conjunction asking ‘in what place’. Where did you get that funny hat? weigh . ‘A noun—how to do something; the path you take. That is the right way. This is the way to the airport. ‘A verb meaning ‘to find out how heavy a thing is’. Wate vanirself on the scales. SE Ht ar E ee EEEot Peto US Korb weak weak week weather weather wether whether we'd we'd weed weed which which witch whole wholly who's who's whose wind wind won wood wood week An adjective meaning ‘not strong or powerful’, He is a very weak person. ‘like weak tea. Anoun—a period of seven days. wether whether Anoun—sunshine, rain, cloud, wind or snow. Anoun—a ram that cannot breed. A conjunction meaning ‘if itis the case that’, asked whether he was going. weed Contraction of ‘we would’, . We'd better behave on the excursion A noun—a nuisance plant. Aweed came up in the middle of is potato patch Avverb—the act of removing weeds from the garden. often help Dad weed the herb garden. witch Arelative pronoun Which would you like? We ate apples which were delicious. A noun—a woman who carries out magic. hole (see hole whole) holy (see holy wholly) whose The contraction of who is. A possessive pronoun or possessive adjective showing ownership. wind A noun (rhymes with thinned)—moving air. A verb (rhymes with bind) meaning ‘to change direction or twist around’, The road seemed to wind round the mountain. Wind the clock. ‘one (see one won) would A noun—the hard part of a tree, Also means “land covered by ¢reac’wound wound wound wrap wring write yew yore yore your you're Averb | would like an apple. wound ‘Anoun (rhymes with tuned)—an injury. (rhymes with hound) The past tense and past participle of tthe verb to wind. He wound the fishing line onto the cork. rap (see rap wrap) ring (see ring wring) right rite (see right rite write) ewe you (see ewe yew you) your you're , A noun—old times; a long time ago. in days of yore A possessive adjective Your homework was very untidy. The contracted form of you are. Are you sure you're coming to my birthday party?