Homographs are words which are spelled the same, but with more than one meaning. Learn more with a big list of homonyms in English with examples.
Common Homographs in English (With Examples)
- Absent
If you’re absent more than five times, you fail the course.
He had absented himself from the office for the day.
- Address
I can give you the address of a good attorney.
That letter was addressed to me.
- Back
I’ll be back in a minute.
Anna stood with her back to the window.
- Ball
Bounce the ball and try and hit it over the net.
My hands were balled into fists.
- Bank
We have very little money in the bank.
He jumped in and swam to the opposite bank.
- Can
Gabriella can speak French fluently.
All we’ve got is a couple of cans of soup.
- Clip
They are clips from the new James Bond film.
The wire is held on with a metal clip.
- Date
The date on the letter was 30th August 1962.
She and Ron go to the park to date.
- Fall
September had come and the leaves were starting to fall.
The area is beautiful in the fall.
- Fan
He’s a big fan of Elvis Presley.
He is turning on the electric fan.
- Fly
The pilot was instructed to fly the plane to Montreal airport.
A fly was buzzing against the window.
- Impact
The report assesses the impact of AIDS on the gay community.
The company’s performance was impacted by the high value of the pound.
- Invite
They have invited me to go to Paris with them.
Thanks for your invite.
- Leaves
The plane leaves at 12.30.
Add a few leaves of fresh basil to the salad.
- Letter
There’s a letter for you from your mother.
‘B’ is the second letter of the alphabet.
- Live
We used to live in London.
The club has live music most nights.
- Nail
The key was hanging on a nail by the door.
I’ve broken my nail.
- Park
We went for a walk in the park.
They had a sheet showing a car park and also cars to cut out.
- Perfume
She was wearing too much perfume.
One bloom has the power to perfume a whole room.
- Play
You’ll have to play inside today.
On the next play, Johnson ran 15 yards for a touchdown.
- Present
What can I get him for a birthday present?
You’ve got to forget the past and start living in the present.
- Resume
She hopes to resume work after the baby is born.
He gave a resume of the year’s work and wished the Society another successful year.
- Right
You were quite right to criticize him.
Take a right turn at the intersection.
- Ring
A diamond glittered on her ring finger.
The children sat on the floor in a ring.
- Rock
Komuro formed a rock band with some friends while in college.
To build the tunnel, they had to cut through 500 feet of solid rock.
- Rose
She has a rose garden.
They rose from the table.
- Ruler
I have a 12-inch ruler.
King Priam was a firm, but just ruler.
- Second
This is the second time it’s happened.
The water flows at about 1.5 meters per second.
- Sink
The ships sink to the bottom of the sea.
I felt chained to the kitchen sink.
- Subject
I have nothing more to say on the subject.
Biology is my favorite subject.
- Tie
He had to tie her hands together.
I wear a shirt and tie at work.
- Too
He’s far too young to go on his own.
“I’m feeling hungry.” – “Me too.”
- Watch
We watch to see what would happen next.
She kept looking anxiously at her watch.
Common Homographs in English | Images
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