LS.CCS.4/5/6 Grades 3-12: Students are asked to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words through multiple choice vocabulary quizzes. Quizzes are designed to help students demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in words, acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words, and gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Students are then asked to find the words within the newspaper and copy the sentence for context to its overall meaning or function in a sentence.
Words in the News Quiz
5 Middle School Words
Click on the correct answer in the quiz below.
Then see if you can find the word in your newspaper -- the print edition, the website or the digital edition and copy the sentence for context. NOTE: High School words are much harder to find!
1. Vacillate
► To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
► An embankment built to prevent flooding
► To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust.
► To move back or away from a limit, point, or mark
2. Malignant
► To move back or away from a limit, point, or mark
► Harmful, malevolent, injurious. Harmfully cancerous.
► A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms.
3. Polygon
► One who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others without making any useful return.
► A closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.
► Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective.
► Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder
4. Repose
► The act of resting or the state of being at rest.
► To rejoice greatly; be jubilant or triumphant
► Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous.
5. Vertebrate
► Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous.
► A fungus, usually of the class Ascomycetes, that grows symbiotically with algae,
► Having a backbone or spinal column.