What does homonym mean?
Word: Homonym
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Homonym means a word that is spelt and said like another word but means something else, such as bark, the sound a dog makes, and bark, the outside of a tree.
How do you spell homonym?
Syllables: hom - o - nym
Tricky part: The last part is nym, with a y and nothing after the m, so homonim and homonymn are wrong.
Watch out for: homonim, homonymn
Memory tip: The ending nym comes from a Greek word for name, and it keeps its y in synonym, antonym and pseudonym too.
Homonym in a sentence
Example 1: Our English worksheet asked us to write two sentences for the homonym 'match'.
Example 2: Rhea asked whether 'fair', as in a funfair, is a homonym of 'fair', meaning just.
Example 3: Kabir made a card game in which you win points for every homonym you spot.
Fun Fact
Pupil is a well-known homonym: it can mean a school student or the black centre of your eye. The eye sense comes from a Latin word for a little doll, perhaps because you can see a tiny picture of yourself in someone's eye.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the word that takes the same letter in both blanks:
a) m_n_ral
b) c_l_ndar
c) h_m_nym
d) l_m_n
Show answer
c) h_m_nym. Homonym takes o in both blanks; mineral takes i and e, calendar a and e, and lemon e and o.
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to fill the first blank:
According to the dictionary, a homonym is a word that is spelt like another word but has a ___ meaning, for example 'can' meaning 'be able' and 'can' meaning 'a metal ___ for drinks'.
a) diffrent
b) different
c) shorter
d) similar
Show answer
b) different. Homonyms look alike but mean different things, and diffrent is missing an e.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
ymnohom
a) a short, well-known saying that gives advice
b) a word that copies the sound of the thing it names
c) a word that means the opposite of another word
d) a word that matches another in spelling and sound but not in sense
Show answer
d) a word that matches another in spelling and sound but not in sense. The letters make homonym, a same-name word with a second meaning.
Word Tally
Give 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. How many marks does the list earn?
homonym, idiom, simile, metaphore, proverb, alliteraton
a) 10
b) 8
c) 4
d) 6
Show answer
b) 8. Metaphor has no e at the end and alliteration has an i before the on, so four words are correct: 4 x 2 = 8.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence uses one word in two different meanings?
a) The big dog chased a large cat down the lane.
b) The hot tea warmed my cold hands this morning.
c) The bat flew out just as I picked up my cricket bat.
d) I ran fast, but my sister ran even faster.
Show answer
c) The bat flew out just as I picked up my cricket bat.
2. Kabir says 'bank' is a homonym. Which pair of meanings proves him right?
a) a place that keeps money and the side of a river
b) the side of a river and the bed of a river
c) a piggy bank and a money box at home
d) a place that keeps money and a shop that sells food
Show answer
a) a place that keeps money and the side of a river
