This English worksheet tests your understanding of a selection of words. Listed in the left hand column is a selection of “tricky” words and listed on the right are three possible alternative meanings. Everyone loves multichoice, and you have to pick the right meaning!
There is a student worksheet that has all the possible answers (including the wrong ones) and there is a teacher worksheet that has only the correct answers. Print them out and give your students the student version and keep the teacher version for yourself.
The above documents are freely downloadable, but they were created using Microsoft Word 2010. In case you haven’t got that program on your computer, the worksheet is presented on this web page below.
Word Quiz
Choose a word from the right hand column that matches the word in the left hand column.
Choose a word from the right hand column that matches the word in the left hand column.
| Word | Is Similar In Meaning To | ||
| Rotund | Energetic | Fat | Reddish in face |
| Ambivalent | Hesitant | Forceful in nature | Having simultaneous, conflicting feelings |
| Scientology | The study of plants | A religion | The scientists’ code of ethics |
| Sparing | Fighting | Meagre | Leaving one out |
| Acolyte | Devoted follower | Chemical in coca cola | A Fossil |
| Claxon | Loud horn | Heavy metal band | Hammer |
| Perambulator | Sound generator | Transport for a baby | A treadmill |
| Profligate | A plastic gate | Careful | Recklessly wasteful |
| Disingenuous | insincere | Very stupid | Mystical |
| Hiatus | A flower | A break | A throw in judo |
| Preamble | A walk along the beach | Introductory and explanatory statement | A cover for a pram |
| Innocuous | The ability to cure | Devious | inoffensive |
| Masticate | To chew | To pound forcefully | To ignore |
| Extant | A mediaeval fountain | Still existing | Extinct |
| Elegant | Shabby | Posh | Tastefully fine |
| Subvert | A green submarine | To hide | To Undermine the principles of |
| Erstwhile | Meanwhile | Afterwards | Formerly |
| Flagellate | To whip | To lay flagstones | To sleep soundly |
| Erroneous | In error | Brother of Eros | Eroding slowly |
| Hapless | Very sad | Unfortunate | Fancy free |
| Feckless | Incompetent | Ungracious | Very thirsty |
| Fecund | Able to reproduce | Impotent | Inarticulate |
| Provoke | To prevent | Incite | To subdue |
| Institutionalise | To break free | To make part of a system | To build an organisation |
| Peeved | Annoyed | Needing the toilet | Soiled |
| Rationalise | To reason | To eat less | To pay attention to the emotions |
| Oligarchy | Government by the few | Olly Murs fan club | A democracy |
| Harried | Moving quickly | Restrained | Distressed |
| Plutocracy | The natural hierarchy that ants form | Rule by the wealthy | The study of distant planets |
| Megalomania | Ectstatic one minute, depressed the next | Lust for power | Fear of power |
| Misogynist | Woman hater | Someone scared of the Japanese | One who plays the misogyny |
| Puerile | Childish | Dirty | Annoying |
| Antithesis | Writers’ block | A geometric shape | Opposite |
| Caricature | A skeletal structure in the body | Something that exaggerates the essence of something | A type of French cooking |
| Travesty | A computer virus | The Italian secret police | A farcical imitation |
| Misconstrue | To deliberately ignore | To not hear | Misinterpret |
| Delude | A great volume of water | What comes before the prelude | Deceive the mind |
| Matriarch | A church | Female dominant member | A kind of castle |
| Acrimonious | Related to Christmas | Salty taste | Bitter |
| Salient | Very rowdy | Quiet | Most noticeable |
| Sartorial | Extremely sarcastic | Relating to a tailor | Careful |
| Antonym | Similar word | A describing word | Opposite word |
| Coup | A tall vase | A break | An overthrowing |