Introduction
- Words in English language have various meanings depending on their usage in sentences.
Homographs
- Homographs are words which are spelled the same but have different meanings.
- They usually appear as separate entries in a dictionary.
Examples:
- The man dug a well in his compound.
- They worked well together. - In the first sentence, the noun well means “a spring of water”. In the second sentence, the adverb well means “in a good manner”.
Examples of common homographs in the English Language
Homograph Meaning Examples bear
sow
lead
close
wind
datefast
hide
net
pick(V) to support or carry
(N) an animal(V) to plant seed
(N) female pig(V) to guide
(N) a metal(Adv)near
(V) lock(V) turning something around
(N) moving air(V) to determine the age
(N) to “go out”
(N) a kind of fruit
(N) time on a calendar(Adj) quick
(V) to choose not to eat food(N) animal skin
(V) to conceal(N) woven trap made of rope or cord
(Adj) amount remaining after deductions
.
(N) a kind of tool
(V) to chooseI will bear the burden.
The bear killed the hunter.The farmer sowed the seeds.
The sow is very fat.The mother duck can lead her ducklings around.
Gold is heavier than lead.The tiger was now so close. that I could smell it.
“Will you please close that door?”Wind your watch.
The wind howled through the woodlands.Can you date this sculpture?
I have a date with Mary.
Dates are grown in South Africa.
What is the date today?He is a fast runner.
The Christians fast just before Easter.He is tanning the hide.
They hide their money under their pillows.They caught fish using a net.
His net pay is thirty thousand shillings per month.He used a pick to dig the hole.
Pick the dress that you want. - Some homographs are spelled the same but pronounced differently.
Example:
The wind is strong today.
This path winds through the hills.
Exercise 1
Write two meanings of the following homographs and use each of them in sentences of your own.
- pen 6. act
- tire 7. arms
- dove 8. block
- wound 9. box
- mean 10. bank
Homophones
- Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
Example:
She will buy music composed by my favourite artist. - Homophones are often confused when writing by many students because of similarity in pronunciation.
Examples of common homophones in English
Homophones Meaning Examples aisle
isle(V) the walkway
(N) islandI quickly walked down the aisle.
He grew up on the isle of Elba.allowed
aloud(V) permitted
(Adv) not silentlyHis mother allowed him to stay up late.
She read the story aloud.Ate
eight(V) past tense of “eat”
(N) numberShe ate a quick lunch.
I bought eight tickets.ball
bawl(N) a round object used in games
(V) to cryHe took the ball to the beach.
Please don’t bawl! It’s not that bad.bear
bare(V) to stand something
(Adj.) nakedHe can’t bear exams.
He stood outside in the rain completely bare.Base
bass(N) the bottom
support of something
(N) the lowest pitches in
musicWe need a new base for that lamp.
I sang bass in the church choir.
More examples of homophones
lead, led
least, leased
loan, lone
male, mail
meet, meat
mind, mined
morning, mourning
naval, navel
new, knew
no, know
one, won
pear, pair
pie, pi
piece, peace
pier, peer
poor, pour
rain, reign
raw, roar
read, reed
road, rode
sale, sail
saw, sore
see, sea
sun, son
tail, tale
tea, tee
their, they’re
they’re, there
tide, tied
too, to
two, too
wail, whale
warn, worn
weal, wheelwear, where
weather, whether
week, weak
weight, wait
while, wile
wood, would
write, right
yew, you
your, you’re
acetic, ascetic
axle, axial
formerly, formally
ion, iron
loch, lock
holy, wholly
heal, heel
ad, add
ail, ale
all, awl
alms, arms
altar, alter
arc, ark
aren’t, aunt
anger, augur
aural, oral
away, aweigh
awe, oar, or, ore
bale, bail
band, banned
bean, been
blew, blue
brake, break
cell, sell
cent, scent, sentcereal, serial
check, cheque
chord, cord
cite, site, sight
coo, coup
cue, queue
dam, damn
dew, due
die, dye
doh, doe, dough
earn, urn
ewe, yew, you
faint, feint
fair, fare
feat, feet
few, phew
find, fined
fir, fur
flaw, floor
flea, flee
flew, flue
flour, flower
for, fore, four
foreword, forward
fort, fought
gait, gate
genes, jeans
gnaw, nor,
gorilla, guerrilla
grate, great
groan, grown
guessed, guest
hale, hail
hair, hare
Exercise 2
Give the homophones and the meanings of the following words.
- in 6. knight
- heard 7. knows
- horse 8. tick
- hey 9. rung
- need 10. sees
Synonyms
- Synonyms are words that have almost the same meaning but different spelling and pronunciation.
Examples:
Slender – thin finish – end sick –ill - Some words have several synonyms. For example, happy has such synonyms words like light-hearted, pleased, and cheerful.
- Synonyms help vary the writing, just like pronouns do. For example, the word happy and its synonyms help vary the writing.
Daniel felt happy – Daniel felt light-hearted.
She was happy with her grade – She was pleased with her grade.
They sang a happy song – They sang a cheerful song.
Examples of common synonyms in English
about, approximately
accomplish, achieve
administer, manage
admit, confess
almost, nearly
annoy, irritate
answer, reply
arise, occur
arrive, reach
begin, start
belly, stomach
bizarre, weird
brave, courageous
chop, cut
clerk, receptionist
close, shut
contrary, opposite
correct, right
daybreak, dawn
demonstrate, protest
denims, jeans
desert, abandon
devil, Satan
disappear, vanish
eager, keen
emphasize, stress
enormous, huge, immense
enquire, investigate
evaluate, assess
fanatic, enthusiast
fool, idiot
sincere, honest
skull, cranium
soiled, dirty
suggest, propose
sunrise, dawn
temper, mood
trustworthy, reliableformerly, previously
fragrance, perfume
function, operate
garbage, rubbish
gay, homosexual
grab, seize
gut, intestine
hard, tough
hashish, cannabis
hawk, peddle
hint, trace, tip
homicide, murder
hunger, starvation
hurry, rush
idler, loafer
if, whether
illustrate, demonstrate
imitate, mimic
immediate, instant
immobile, motionless
impartial, neutral
impasse, deadlock
impolite, rude
inconsiderate, thoughtless
infamous, notorious
informal, casual
inheritor, heir
instructions, directions
jealous, envious
joy, delight
lacking, missing
lethal, deadly
ultimate, final
uncommon, unusual
uncooked, raw
unforeseen, unexpected
unfortunate, unlucky
unmarried, single
untimely, prematurelousy, awful
madness, insanity
magnify, exaggerate
manmade, artificial
material, fabric
merciless, cruel
midway, halfway
mind, intellect
mirror, reflect
mistrust, distrust
modern, contemporary
movie, film
murderer, assassin
naked, bare
nameless, anonymous
nightfall, dusk
noon, midday
numerous, many
object, thing
outside, external
overlook, miss
peaceable, peaceful
poisonous, toxic
post-mortem, autopsy
praise, compliment
reasonable, fair
refrain, chorus
religious, devout
respond, reply
scarcity, shortage
signal, sign
silly, foolish
vain, useless
vary, differ
vast, huge
winery, vineyard
withstand, resist
zenith, peak
Exercise 3
Give the synonyms of the following words:
- start 6. collect
- come 7. assist
- lengthy 8. build
- shattered 9. reply
- Fix 10. purchase
Antonyms
- Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Antonyms also add variety to your writing.
Examples:
Cold-hot heavier – lighter fearful – brave. - Some words have more than one antonym. Some of these antonyms can be formed by adding a prefix to a base word.
Examples:
Kind – cruel, unkind like – hate, dislike
Examples of common antonyms in English
absent – present
absurd – sensible
abundant – scarce
accidental – intentional
accuse – defend
accurate – incorrect
admit – deny
advance – retreat
after – before
alien – native
alone – together
always – never
amuse – bore
anger – kindness
applaud – boo
asleep – awake
beautiful – ugly
beg – offer
below – above
bitter – sweet
buy – sell
careful – careless
cease – begin
civilian – military
closed – open
condemn – praise
crooked – straight
dangerous – safe
dead – alive
deep – shallow
destroy – create
drunk – sober
east – westenemy – friend
evil – good
exhale – inhale
expensive – cheap
fail – succeed
fat – skinny
fertile – barren
floor – ceiling
former – latter
funny – serious
generous – stingy
genuine – fake
guilty – innocent
humble – arrogant
husband – wife
illegal – lawful
import – export
indoor – outdoor
inferior – superior
intelligent – stupid
joy – grief
kind – mean
king – commoner
lazy – industrious
lock – unlock
majority – minority
man – woman
merciful – cruel
moist – dry
nervous – calm
obey – disobey
original – copy
patient – impatientpermit – forbid
polite – rude
positive – negative
private – public
push – pull
question – answer
quick – slow
reckless – cautious
rival – friend
sane – insane
servant – master
sick – well
simple – complex
slavery – freedom
smart – dumb
solid – gas
spend – save
stranger – friend
strong – weak
sudden – gradual
suffix – prefix
tame – wild
temporary – permanent
thaw – freeze
tough – tender
unique – common
vacant – occupied
victory – defeat
villain – hero
war – peace
young – old
Exercise 4
Give the antonyms of the following words:
- easy 6. sweat
- whisper 7. stationary
- triumph 8. strengthen
- dull 9. precious
- dangerous 10. naked
Idioms and Sayings
- An idiom is a phrase that has a special meaning as a whole. The meaning of an idiom is different from the meanings of its separate words.
Examples:- It was raining cats and dogs.
The idiom raining cats and dogs does not mean that cats and dogs were falling out of the sky! It means “raining heavily”. - I put my foot in my mouth today.
The idiom put my foot in my mouth means “to say the wrong thing”.
- It was raining cats and dogs.
- Sometimes the context in which an idiom is used can give a hint of its meaning.
Example:
- Jeff is talking through his hat when he says that he can spell every word in the English language.
This idiom clearly means that Jeff cannot possibly spell every word in the English language. Hence, the idiom talking through his hat means talking nonsense
More examples of idioms in the English language
Idiom | Meaning | |
1 | It was a blessing in disguise. | Something good that is not recognised at first. |
2 | He is a doubting Thomas. | A sceptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something. |
3 | That scandal was a drop in the bucket. | A very small part of something big or whole. |
4 | The exam was a piece of cake. | A task that can be accomplished very easily. |
5 | The punishment was a slap in the wrist. | A very mild punishment. |
6 | The thief received a taste of his own medicine. | He was mistreated the same way he mistreats others. |
7 | Don’t add fuel to the fire! | When something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is. |
8 | The principal is just all bark but no bite. | When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight. |
9 | The theory is all Greek to me. | Meaningless and incomprehensible. |
10 | We are all in the same boat. | When everyone is facing the same challenges. |
11 | The house cost him an arm and a leg. | Very expensive. A large amount of money. |
12 | The teacher has an axe to grind with the bursar. | To have a dispute with someone. |
13 | Joyce is the apple of my eye. | Someone who is cherished above all others. |
14 | The boy did the work at the drop of a hat. | Willing to do something immediately. |
15 | The politician is a back seat driver. | People who criticize from the sidelines. |
16 | They were back to square one in their search for the treasure. | Having to start all over again. |
17 | The government has to go back to the drawing board on the issue of the New Constitution. | When an attempt fails and its time to start all over again. |
18 | The investigator realised he was barking the wrong tree. | A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve |
19 | You are beating a dead horse. | To force an issue that has already ended. |
20 | Stop beating around the bush. | Avoiding the main topic, not speaking directly about an issue. |
21 | I will bend over backwards to see you through school. | Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything. |
22 | She was caught between a rock and a hard place. | Stuck between two very bad options. |
23 | You are biting off more than you can chew | To take on a task that is way too big. |
24 | John decided to bite his tongue. | To avoid talking. |
25 | Tom has a cast iron stomach. | Someone who has no problems, complications, or ill effects with eating or drinking anything. |
26 | That is a cock and bull story. | An unbelievable tale. |
27 | I will have to win, come hell or high water. | Any difficult situation or obstacle. |
28 | Don’t cry over spilt milk. | When you complain about a loss from the past. |
29 | He likes crying wolf | Intentionally raise a false alarm. |
30 | Tim is a dark horse. | One who was previously unknown and now is prominent. |
31 | Kinyua is a devil’s advocate | Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that particular side of the argument |
32 | My father drinks like a fish. | To drink very heavily. |
33 | This problem is driving me up the wall. | To irritate or annoy very much. |
34 | The students had a field day with the visiting guests. | An enjoyable day or circumstance. |
35 | The food was finger licking good. | Very tasty food or meal. |
36 | He changed from rags to riches. | To go from being very poor to being very wealthy. |
37 | I need to get over it. | To move beyond something that is bothering you. |
38 | She got up on the wrong side of the bed. | Someone who is having a horrible day. |
39 | You must go the extra mile to achieve your goal. | Go above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand. |
40 | Joan is a good Samaritan. | Someone who helps others when they are in need without expecting a reward. |
41 | I have a gut feeling she will die | A personal intuition you get, especially when you feel something may not be right. |
42 | The player lost his head when he missed the goal. | Angry and overcome by emotions. |
43 | He was head over heels in love with her. | Very excited and joyful, especially when in love. |
44 | He gave her a high five when he won the contest. | Slapping palms above each others heads as a celebration gesture. |
45 | Let us hit the books! | To study, especially for a test or exam. |
46 | I will hit the hay now. | Go to bed or go to sleep. |
47 | The preacher hit the nail on the head. | Do or say something exactly right. |
48 | She hit the sack after a hard day’s work. | Go to bed or sleep. |
49 | Hold your horses, the speaker is coming. | Be patient. |
50 | The certificate was an icing on the cake after the monetary reward. | When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have. |
51 | The girl became careless in the heat of the moment. | Overwhelmed by what is happening at the moment. |
52 | The policeman kept an eye on him. | Carefully watch somebody. |
53 | He kept his chin up during the burial. | To remain joyful in a tough situation. |
54 | The old man kicked the bucket. | Die |
55 | Lend me your ear. | To politely ask for someone’s full attention. |
56 | You let the cat out of the bag. | To share a secret that wasn’t supposed to be shared. |
57 | The by-election was not a level playing field. | A fair competition where no side has an advantage. |
58 | He ran all over like a chicken with its head cut off. | To act in a frenzied manner. |
59 | Mr. Gumo is a loose canon. | Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check. |
60 | I am not interested in his mumbo jumbo. | Nonsense or meaningless speech. |
61 | She is the new kid on the block. | Someone new to the group or area. |
62 | He started off on the wrong foot. | Getting a bad start on a relationship or task. |
63 | The accused man is now off the hook. | No longer have to deal with a tough situation. |
64 | I said that off the record! | Something said in confidence that the speaker doesn’t want attributed to him or her. |
65 | I was on pins and needles. | Anxious or nervous especially in anticipation of something. |
66 | The prefects sit on the fence when there is a strike. | Undecided. |
67 | The dog appeared out of the blue. | Something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs or appears |
68 | You will get the job over my dead body | When you absolutely will not allow something to happen. |
69 | Mark is fond of passing the buck to his brother. | Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else. |
70 | Dennis is a peeping Tom. | Someone who observes people in the nude or sexually active people, mainly for his own gratification. |
71 | “Pipe down! We have heard you! | To shut up or be quiet. |
72 | You are pulling my leg. | Tricking someone as a joke. |
73 | Rise and shine! It’s time to go to school. | Time to get out of bed and get ready for work or school. |
74 | The businessman has run out of steam nowadays. | To be completely out of energy. |
75 | The convict was saved by a bell. | Saved at the last possible moment. |
76 | He was a scapegoat for amorous politician. | Someone else who takes the blame. |
77 | The naughty boy got away scot-free. | To escape and not have to pay |
78 | She was sick as a dog. | To be very sick (with flu or a cold) |
79 | He has a sixth sense. | A paranormal sense that allows you to communicate with the dead |
80 | The judge smelt a rat when the witness started trembling. | To be suspicious or detect someone in the group is betraying the others. |
81 | The prosecutor smelt something fishy when the accused winked at the witness. | Detecting that something isn’t right and there might be a reason for it. |
82 | We have to start from scratch. | To do it all over again from the beginning. |
83 | The ball is in your court. | It is your decision this time. |
84 | They tied the knot in December. | To get married. |
85 | I will wait till the cows come home. | A long time. |
86 | To make a long story short, you are not coming with us. | Said by someone during a long boring story. |
87 | The government turned a blind eye to the plight of IDPs | Refuse to acknowledge something you know is real or legitimate. |
88 | I am under the weather today. | Feeling ill or sick. |
89 | Forget the water under the bridge. | Anything from the past that isn’t significant or important any more. |
90 | He will pay you the money when pigs fly. | Something that will never ever happen. |
91 | She wines and dines with stars. | When someone is treated to an expensive meal. |
92 | It is without a doubt the best programme. | For certain. |
93 | Your guess is as good as mine. | I have no idea. |
Common Idiomatic Expressions and Sayings
- A bird in the hand is worth to in the bush. – Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.
- A fool and his money are easily parted. – It’s easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.
- A house divided against itself cannot stand. – Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.
- A leopard can’t change his spots. – You cannot change who you are.
- A penny save is a penny earned. – By not spending money you are saving money (little by little).
- A picture paints a thousand words. – A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.
- Actions speak louder than words. – It’s better to actually do something than just talk about it.
- Curiosity killed the cat. – Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. – Don’t rely on it until you are sure of it.
- Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. – When someone gives you a gift, don’t be ungrateful.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. – Do not put all your resources in one possibility.
- Drastic times call for drastic measures. – When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions.
- Elvis has left the building. – The show has come to an end. It’s all over.
- Every cloud has a silver lining. – Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
- Great minds think alike. – Intelligent people think like each other.
- Haste makes waste. – Doing things quickly may result in a poor ending.
- Idle hands are the devils’ tools. – You are more likely to get it trouble if you have nothing to do.
- If it’s not one thing, it’s another. – When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another ….
- It takes two to tango. – A conflict involves two people and both must cooperate to have it resolved.
- It’s a small world. – You cannot hide from your evil deeds in this world.
- Let bygones be bygones. – To forget about a disagreement or argument.
- Let sleeping dogs lie. – To avoid restarting a conflict.
- Never bite the hand that feeds you. – Don’t hurt anyone that helps you.
- Practice makes perfect. – By constantly practising, you will become better.
- Rome was not built in one day. - If you want something to be completed properly, then it’s going to take time.
- The bigger they are, the harder they fall. – The bigger and stronger opponent may be more difficult to beat, but when he does, he suffers a much bigger loss.
- Variety is the spice of life. – The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be.
- When it rains, it pours. – Since it rarely rains, when it does it will be a huge, storm.You are what you eat. – In order to stay healthy, you must eat healthy foods.
- You can’t judge a book by its cover. – Decisions shouldn’t be made primarily on appearance.
Exercise 5
Give the meaning of the italicized idioms in the following sentences.
- I was completely at sea when the Prime Minister visited my house.
- Jane has her hands full. She can’t take on more work.
- Do you have a bone to pick with me?
- I can’t make heads or tails of this story.
- The test was as easy as pie.
- I am sick and tired of doing nothing at work.
- I am broke! I have to borrow some money.
- She dropped me a line yesterday.
- He filled in for her when she fell sick.
- My business is in the red.
Answers
Exercise 1
- Pen – a device for writing
– an enclosure for sheep - Tire – to make weary
– the rubber material on the wheel of an automobile or bicycle. - Dove – past tense of dive
– a bird - Wound – past tense of wind
– an injury. - Mean – stingy
– average - Act – a dramatic performance
– doing something - Arms – upper limbs
– weapons - Block – a building
– obstruct - Box – a carton
– fight with gloves - Bank – edge of a river
– a money depository
Exercise 2
- in –inn 6. knight – night
- heard – herd 7. knows – nose
- horse – hoarse 8. tick – tic
- key – quay 9. rung – wrung
- need – knead 10. sees – seize
Exercise 3
- start – begin 6. collect – gather
- come – arrive 7. assist – help
- lengthy – long 8. build – construct
- shattered – broken 9. reply – answer
- fix – repair 10. purchase – buy
Exercise 4
- easy – hard 6. sweet – sour
- whisper – yell 7. stationary – mobile
- triumph – fail 8. strength – weaken
- dull – interesting 9. precious – worthless
- dangerous – safe 10. naked – clothed
Exercise 5
- at sea – confused
- has his hands full – is busy
- have a bone to pick with me – have a quarrel
- make heads or tails – make sense
- as easy as pie – very easy
- sick and tired – can’t stand, hate
- broke – to have no money
- dropped me a line yesterday – sent me a letter or email
- filled in for her – did her work while she was away
- in the red – losing money, not profitable
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