Homophones and Homographs — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. In "The actor took a deep bow after the final scene ended," what does bow mean?
A) To bend forward in respect
B) A decorative ribbon knot
C) A weapon for shooting arrows
D) The front part of a boat
Bow here means bending forward, a respectful gesture actors make for an audience after performing.
2. In "I refuse to give up on this hard math problem," what does refuse mean?
A) Garbage or trash
B) Recycled paper goods
C) To decline or say no
D) Old food scraps
Refuse here is a verb meaning to decline, since the speaker is choosing not to give up.
3. In "She might object to changing our team's name without a vote," what does object mean?
A) An item or thing
B) A goal to achieve
C) A grammar term
D) To disagree or protest
Object here is a verb meaning to protest, since she might disagree with changing the team name.
4. In "Please close the window before the rain comes inside," what does close mean?
A) Near in distance
B) To shut something
C) A short ending part
D) Without much space
Close here is a verb meaning to shut, since the speaker asks someone to take action with the window.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. We took the trash and other refuse to the curb for pickup tomorrow.
Refuse here means garbage, since trash and curbside pickup show the noun meaning.
2. The strange object on the table turned out to be a Roman coin.
Object here is a noun meaning a thing, since the sentence describes an item being identified.
3. Stand close to me so we can hear the teacher's quiet directions clearly.
Close here means near, describing distance between two people who need to listen carefully.
4. The bow of a violin can be tightened before each long performance practice.
Bow here means the stringed stick, since violins use bows to make their musical notes.
5. When asked to clean up, the toddler began to refuse loudly and stomp her feet.
Refuse here means to decline, since the toddler is acting out instead of cleaning up.