Homonyms | Exercises with answers

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Exercise 1

Homonyms are words that are pronounced the same but have a different meaning. Which word is right for each sentence?

1. Which jeans are you going to —wearwhere?

2. Can you —porepour some milk for me?

3. Take a —brakebreak. You’re working too hard!

4. I received —mailmale from my boss.

5. My friends and I want to —salesail across the lake.

6. Your face looks very —pailpale.

7. My legs are —soresoar after the 5 mile run.

8. Why is your —harehair so long?

9. I have —redread the book ten times.

10. Which —pairpear of shoes should I wear today?

 

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ANSWERS

1. wear
2. pour
3. break 
4. mail
5. sail
6. pale
7. sore
8. hair 
9. read
10. pair

English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

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Exercise 6

Form single-word compound names using the following list:

• road | print | track | writing | pick | light | line | watch | case | dresser | boy | pocket | fly | tail | dog

1. dead
2. hair
3. stop
4. suit
5. cow
6. pick
7. pig
8. watch
9. cross
10. foot
11. sound
12. fire
13. hand
14. tooth
15. head

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ANSWERS

1. deadline 
2. hairdresser
3. stopwatch
4. suitcase
5. cowboy
6. pickpocket
7. pigtail
8. watchdog
9. crossroad
10. footprint
11. soundtrack
12. firefly
13. handwriting
14. toothpick
15. headlight

English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

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Exercise 5

Form single-word compound names using the following list:

• dog | scraper | down | cake | word | ground | worm | ship | made | bow | walk | bug | stick | yard | house

1. back
2. home
3. rain
4. lady
5. earth
6. light
7. side
8. bull
9. court
10. count
11. space
12. lip
13. sky
14. pan
15. pass

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ANSWERS

1. background
2. homemade
3. rainbow
4. ladybug
5. earthworm
6. lighthouse
7. sidewalk
8. bulldog
9. courtyard
10. countdown
11. spaceship
12. lipstick
13. skyscraper
14. pancake
15. password

English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

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Exercise 4

Form open compound names (i.e. with a space between the two words that make it up) using the following list:

• tree | glasses | bag | reality | bulb | whale | jacket | bar | care | cream | band | park | cleaner | game | room

1. Christmas
2. safety
3. sleeping
4. virtual
5. light
6. killer
7. life
8. energy
9. health
10. ice
11. rock 
12. theme
13. vacuum
14. video 
15. waiting

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ANSWERS

1. Christmas tree
2. safety glasses
3. sleeping bag
4. virtual reality
5. light bulb
6. killer whale
7. life jacket
8. energy bar
9. health care
10. ice cream
11. rock band
12. theme park
13. vacuum cleaner
14. video game
15. waiting room

English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 3

Form single-word compound names using the following list:

• star | card | book | proof | berries | guard | pack | walk | light | ache | board | flower | keeper | moon | corn

 

1. cross
2. moon
3. skate
4. sun
5. honey
6. pop
7. house
8. super
9. note
10. black
11. post
12. water
13. head
14. life
15. back

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ANSWERS

1. crosswalk
2. moonlight
3. skateboard
4. sunflower
5. honeymoon
6. popcorn
7. housekeeper
8. superstar
9. notebook
10. blackberries
11. postcard
12. waterproof
13. headache
14. lifeguard
15. backpack

English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

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Exercise 2

Form single-word compound names using the following list:

• store | bell | site | paste | washer | port | cut | ground | phones | room | screen | rise | chair | glasses | quake

 

1. ear
2. bath
3. sun
4. earth
5. wheel
6. sun
7. wind
8. book
9. web
10. tooth
11. under
12. door
13. hair
14. dish
15. pass

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ANSWERS

1. earphones
2. bathroom
3. sunrise
4. earthquake
5. wheelchair
6. sunglasses
7. windscreen
8. bookstore
9. website
10. toothpaste
11. underground
12. doorbell
13. haircut
14. dishwasher
15. passport

English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 1

Form open compound names (i.e. with a space between the two words that make it up) using the following list:

• attack | estate | goods | rights | penalty | hostel | moon | clock | card | control | force | line | donor | lens | pressure

1. alarm 
2. assembly
3. full
4. contact
5. credit
6. birth
7. blood
8. heart
9. death
10. real
11. labour
12. blood
13. luxury
14. human
15. youth

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ANSWERS

1. alarm clock
2. assembly line
3. full moon
4. contact lens
5. credit card
6. birth control
7. blood pressure
8. heart attack
9. death penalty
10. real estate
11. labour force
12. blood donor
13. luxury goods
14. human rights
15. youth hostel

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

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Exercise 10

Among the three words proposed, which one is not suitable for forming a compound adjective?

Ex: sun-________ (worshiping / dried / developed) → sun-developed

1. time- (sensitive / consuming / long)

2. well- (developed / sensitive / known)

3. badly- (foot / developed / behaved)

4. three- (mile / behaved / foot)

5. free- (standing / spirited / mile)

6. world- (famous / known / renowned)

7. last- (minute / time / second)

8. short- (sighted / tempered / second)

9. deep- (seated / sea / tempered)

10. cold- (hearted / fighting / minute)

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ANSWERS

1. time-consuming
2. well-known
3. badly-behaved
4. three-mile
5. free-spirited
6. world-famous
7. last-minute
8. short-sighted/tempered: both are correct
9. deep-sea
10. cold-hearted

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

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Exercise 9

Which of the three words proposed is best suited to form a compound adjective?

Ex: sun-____ (lost / dried / mannered) → sun-dried

1. well- (sensitive / traveled / mile)

2. three- (sensitive / traveled / mile)

3. time- (sensitive / mannered / mile)

4. fail- (safe / behaved / spirited)

5. mean- (safe / behaved / spirited)

6. badly- (safe / behaved / spirited)

7. part- (minded / time / new)

8. open- (minded / time / new)

9. brand- (minded / time / new)

10. gently- (hearted / flowing / safe)

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ANSWERS

1. well-traveled
2. three-mile
3. time-sensitive
4. fail-safe
5. mean-spirited
6. badly-behaved
7. part-time
8. open-minded
9. brand-new
10. gently-flowing

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 8

Which of the three words proposed is best suited to form a compound adjective?

Example: sun-____ (lost / dried / mannered) → sun-dried

1. south- (speaking / facing / day)

2. French- (speaking / facing / day)

3. four- (speaking / facing / day)

4. high- (provoking / flying / aged)

5. highly- (flying / respected / aged)

6. middle- (flying / respected / aged)

7. thought- (provoking / lipped / tuned)

8. tight- (provoking / lipped / aged)

9. fine- (provoking / tuned / flying)

10. friendly- (respected / looking / aged)

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ANSWERS

1. south-facing
2. French-speaking
3. four-day
4. high-flying
5. highly-respected
6. middle-aged
7. thought-provoking
8. tight-lipped
9. fine-tuned
10. friendly-looking