Vocabulary Puzzles The Fun Way to Ace Standardized Tests

DEFINITION
SAMPLE SENTENCE
_____ irreligious; vulgar
A.) Building a stone wall on our property
proved to be an ONEROUS task.
_____ bland; dull
B.) They all thought he was perfect, but I
knew he had FOIBLEs like all of us.
_____ sin
C.) She gave me a very HAUGHTY look
when I said I didn’t like the color of her
Rolls Royce.
_____ minor weakness or fault
D.) Prohibition—the ban on alcoholic 
beverages—proved to be unworkable,
and was RESCINDed in the 1930s.
_____ one who hates people
E.) She confessed her TRANSGRESSIONs
every week at church.
_____ repeal or abolish
F.) When the reporter asked some tough
questions, the politician’s response
included a few PROFANE words the
newspaper couldn’t print.
_____ snobbish; arrogant
G.) They tried to MESH their vacation
plans so they could go away together.
_____ fatherlike
H.) They were so excited about being on
vacation that they SQUANDERed all
their money on the first day.
_____ cause to coordinate or 
I.) The network aired some new exciting 
interlock
shows to replace ones that viewers felt
were INSIPID.
_____ burdensome; laborious
J.) After my father passed away, my uncle
took a PATERNAL interest in me.
_____ waste
K.) The MISANTHROPE built himself a
cabin deep in the woods, miles from the
nearest person.
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Part 1 


Learning Definitions and Using Words in Context
04_135105 pt01.qxp 7/13/07 7:10 PM Page 117

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Step 3: Write Sentences
For each word write two sentences that indicate you know the meaning of the word. Then
read aloud quickly three times each set of sentences that came to you. If you hesitated
before coming up with the sentences or had to look up a word, say each of those sen-
tences six times and write the vocabulary word you are studying at least three times. You
can write them anywhere—on the lines after the sentences, in the margin, or on a piece of
paper—as long as you write them.
Word:
ADEPT
Sentence 1: