CDS English · Vocabulary
Homophones in sentences: test every sentence on its own
Two or three words that sound alike, each used in a sentence. Decide what each sentence's slot needs, and mark only the sentences where the right word sits in it.
Why this matters
Recent papers give sets of sound-alike words (cite, sight, site) with two or three sentences, and ask which sentences use them correctly. Often the words are rotated so that each one lands in another's sentence. Judge each sentence alone; 'only one is right' and 'all are right' both happen.
Concept 1 of 4: Noun, verb or adjective? Let the slot decide
Homophones are words that sound the same but differ in spelling and meaning (rein, reign). Near-homophones sound close but not the same (lesson, lesion). In a sentence, the empty slot already tells you what kind of word it needs: a noun after 'the' or 'a', a verb after 'to' or a subject, an adverb before an adjective. Find the word that has that part of speech and that meaning.
Definition
The method:
- Take one sentence at a time. Ignore the other sentences while you judge it.
- Ask what the slot needs: a noun (after a, the, his), a verb (after to, or as the action), an adjective (describing a noun), an adverb (describing a verb or adjective).
- Ask which word of the set has that part of speech and meaning.
- If the underlined word is that word, the sentence is correct. Mark it, then move to the next sentence.
- Only after all sentences are judged, map your result to the options.
Sets tested this way:
- 2026 (II): ascend (verb, to climb) / ascent (noun, a climb) / assent (noun or verb, agreement).
- 2026 (II): quiet (adjective, without noise) / quite (adverb, fairly or fully) / quit (verb, to leave).
- 2025 (II): lesion (noun, a wound or damaged area) / legion (noun, a large number) / lesson (noun, something learnt). To make less is lessen.
- 2026 (II): rein (noun or verb, a strap to control a horse; rein in = control) / reign (noun, a monarch's rule) / arraign (verb, to call before a court).
- 2026 (I): raze (verb, to destroy completely) / raise (verb, to lift; noun, a pay rise) / rays (noun, beams of light or heat).
- 2026 (II): weather (noun, the state of the air) / whether (conjunction, if) / whither (adverb, to what place).
- 2025 (I): consequent (adjective, following as a result; consequent to) / consequence (noun, a result; also importance).
Worked example
Pray, Prey. 1. The eagle swooped down on its pray. 2. The villagers prey for rain every summer. 3. The lion stalked its prey through the grass. In which of the sentences is the underlined word used correctly? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (II) 2026 — English · Q89Moderate
Example 1 · Vocabulary · Homophones in Sentences
Directions: In the following items similar sounding words are given, followed by sentences wherein these words has been used, and underlined. You are required to identify those sentences in which these words have been used most appropriately and mark your response in the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Ascend, Ascent, Assent
1. She made the ascend to the top of the mountains seem effortless.
2. The Prince waited a long time to ascent the throne.
3. She gave her tacit assent to the transfer of power.
In which of the sentences given above have the underlined words been used correctly?
Judging sentences against each other
Students see that sentence 1 is wrong and assume another sentence must be right, or the reverse. Each sentence stands alone. All three can be wrong; all three can be right.
Rein and reign
A king's period of rule is a reign. To control something is to rein it in, as a rider pulls the reins of a horse. 'Reign in your impulses' is a common mistake in real writing too.
Quite and quiet
Quite is an adverb (quite well, quite good). Quiet is an adjective (a quiet wedding). Check the slot: before 'well' you need an adverb; before 'wedding' you need an adjective.
Concept 2 of 4: Homophone sets: places, things and money
Each set below has two or three words that sound alike and name different things. Learn each word with one short sentence of your own. The sentence is what you will recall in the exam.
Definition
How to use the table:
- Cover the meanings and say what each word names.
- Then make a sentence for each word. If you cannot, learn that word again.
- Watch the two-letter changes: tier / tyre / tire, aisle / isle.
| Set | Meanings | Correct use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crops / corps / corpse | Plants grown for food; a body of people (said 'core'); a dead body | The medical corps set up a camp. | 2026 (I) |
| Tire / tier / tyre | To make or grow weary; a level or row; the rubber ring on a wheel | The stadium has three tiers of seats. | 2026 (I) |
| Cite / sight / site | To quote as proof; the ability to see or a view; a place | The new school will be built on this site. | 2026 (I) |
| Aisle / ale / isle | A passage between rows of seats; a kind of beer; an island | She asked for an aisle seat. | 2026 (II) |
| Sent / scent / cent | Past tense of send; a smell; one hundredth of a dollar | The hounds followed the fox's scent. | 2026 (II) |
| Way / weigh / whey | A path or manner; to measure heaviness; liquid left when milk curdles | Weigh the parcel before posting it. | 2026 (II) |
| Dairy / dreary / diary | A place for milk products; dull and gloomy; a daily personal record | He writes in his diary every night. | 2025 (II) |
| Brawl / bawl / bowl | A noisy fight; to cry loudly; a round dish | The baby began to bawl. | 2026 (II) |
| Bear / bare / bier | To carry or endure; uncovered or empty; a stand for a coffin | I cannot bear the noise. | 2026 (I) |
In these sets each word was usually placed in another word's sentence, so most sentences were wrong.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (I) 2026 — English · Q87Moderate
Example 2 · Vocabulary · Homophones in Sentences
Directions: In the following items, similar sounding words are given, followed by sentences wherein in each sentence one of these words has been used, and underlined. You are required to select those sentences in which these words have been used most appropriately and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
cite, sight, site
1. The officer has left for her weekly inspection of the cite.
2. The fresh flowers at the desk made for a pretty sight.
3. Journalists should site their sources accurately.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly?
Corps is not corpse
Corps (said 'core') is a body of people: the Army Medical Corps. Corpse is a dead body. A cadet should never mix these in an interview or an essay.
Bear and bare
To bear is to carry or endure (I cannot bear the heat). Bare means uncovered or empty (bare walls). Swapping them is one of the most common slips.
All correct does happen
Sets such as way / weigh / whey and crops / corps / corpse had every sentence correct. Do not assume the examiner always plants a mistake.
Concept 3 of 4: Homophone sets: actions, feelings and events
These sets mix a verb with nouns that sound like it: pare, pair, pear; seize, cease, crease. Decide first whether the sentence needs an action or a thing. That one question removes most wrong words.
Definition
How to use the table:
- Mark which word in each set is a verb (pare, seize, cease, censor, censure, insure, ensure, weave, wave, waive, peek).
- In a sentence, if the slot needs a verb, only the verbs can fill it.
- Then choose between the verbs by meaning.
| Set | Meanings | Correct use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pare / pair / pear | To trim or cut down; two of a kind; a fruit | Pare the budget to the minimum. | 2025 (I), 2026 (I) |
| Seize / cease / crease | To take by force; to stop; a fold line in cloth | The firing will cease at midnight. | 2025 (I) |
| Censer / censor / censure | A vessel for burning incense; to cut objectionable parts; to criticise strongly | The film board censored two scenes. | 2026 (I) |
| Fate / fete / faith | Destiny; a festive celebration; trust or belief | The village fete had stalls, games and music. | 2026 (I) |
| Idyll / idle / idol | A peaceful, happy scene; doing nothing; an image worshipped or a hero | The film star was the idol of the youth. | 2026 (I) |
| Insure / ensure / unsure | To protect with an insurance policy; to make certain; not certain | Ensure that the door is locked. | 2026 (I) |
| Weave / wave / waive | To make by crossing threads, or to put together; a ridge of water, or to move the hand; to give up a right | The bank agreed to waive the late fee. | 2026 (II) |
| Peak / peek / pique | The top or highest point; a quick look; resentment from hurt pride | His pique at being ignored showed on his face. | 2026 (II) |
Ensure and insure also came as a labelled pair in 2025 (I); pare, pair and pear came in both 2025 (I) and 2026 (I).
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (I) 2026 — English · Q84Moderate
Example 3 · Vocabulary · Homophones in Sentences
Directions: In the following items, similar sounding words are given, followed by sentences wherein in each sentence one of these words has been used, and underlined. You are required to select those sentences in which these words have been used most appropriately and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
fate, fete, faith
1. The working committee will meet to discuss the fete of the erring employee.
2. The students organized a fate to felicitate the winners.
3. The accused person has lost faith in the fairness of the judgement.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly?
Censor and censure
To censor is to cut parts of a film, book or report. To censure is to criticise formally (the House censured the minister). A censer is a vessel for incense.
Ensure and insure
Ensure = make certain (ensure you carry cash). Insure = protect with an insurance policy (insure the car). 'Kewal was ensure of the consequences' fails because the slot needs the adjective unsure or sure.
Waive and wave
To waive a right or a fee is to give it up. To wave is to move the hand or a ridge of water. To weave is to make cloth, or to put a story together.
Concept 4 of 4: Near-homophones: words that only look alike
These words do not sound exactly the same. They share most of their letters, so a quick reader takes one for another. Read each underlined word letter by letter, then test it in its sentence.
Definition
How to handle them:
- Say the underlined word aloud in your head, syllable by syllable.
- Ask what it means, and whether that meaning fits the sentence.
- An unusual but real sense is still correct. To bate = to hold back (as in 'with bated breath').
| Set | Meanings | Correct use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Séance / sconce / scone | A meeting to contact the dead; a candle holder fixed to a wall; a small baked cake | They served scones with tea. | 2025 (I) |
| Truism / altruism | A statement so obviously true it hardly needs saying; selfless concern for others | His altruism made him give away his savings. | 2025 (I) |
| Braid / beard / brood | To weave hair into a plait; hair on the chin; to sit on eggs, or to think gloomily | The hen broods her eggs. | 2025 (II) |
| Depose / deplore / deport | To remove from office; to condemn strongly; to send out of a country | The illegal migrants were deported. | 2025 (II) |
| Bate / bait / bade | To hold back or lessen; food used to trap an animal; past tense of bid (said goodbye) | We waited with bated breath. | 2025 (II) |
Deplore means to condemn, so it cannot sit happily next to something good.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2025 · CDS (I) 2025 — English · Q28Moderate
Example 4 · Vocabulary · Homophones in Sentences
Directions: In the following items similar sounding words or phrases are given, followed by sentences wherein in each sentence one of these words has been used, and underlined. You are required to identify those sentences in which these words have been used correctly and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Truism, Altruism
1. That one has to reap what one sows is a truism.
2. The altruism uttered by the seer covered the higher levels of spiritual knowledge.
In which of the sentences given above has/have the words been used correctly?
Altruism is not a saying
Altruism is a quality: selfless concern for others. A truism is a statement so obvious it hardly needs saying. Ask whether the slot needs a quality or a statement.
Deplore is negative
To deplore is to condemn strongly. Pairing it with a good thing ('they happily deplore the new hospital') makes the sentence contradict itself.
A rare sense can still be right
'Bate your anger' looks wrong, but bate is a real verb meaning to hold back. Do not mark a sentence wrong just because a word looks unusual; check whether its meaning fits.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Homophone sets: places, things and money9 rows
| Set | Meanings | Correct use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crops / corps / corpse | Plants grown for food; a body of people (said 'core'); a dead body | The medical corps set up a camp. | 2026 (I) |
| Tire / tier / tyre | To make or grow weary; a level or row; the rubber ring on a wheel | The stadium has three tiers of seats. | 2026 (I) |
| Cite / sight / site | To quote as proof; the ability to see or a view; a place | The new school will be built on this site. | 2026 (I) |
| Aisle / ale / isle | A passage between rows of seats; a kind of beer; an island | She asked for an aisle seat. | 2026 (II) |
| Sent / scent / cent | Past tense of send; a smell; one hundredth of a dollar | The hounds followed the fox's scent. | 2026 (II) |
| Way / weigh / whey | A path or manner; to measure heaviness; liquid left when milk curdles | Weigh the parcel before posting it. | 2026 (II) |
| Dairy / dreary / diary | A place for milk products; dull and gloomy; a daily personal record | He writes in his diary every night. | 2025 (II) |
| Brawl / bawl / bowl | A noisy fight; to cry loudly; a round dish | The baby began to bawl. | 2026 (II) |
| Bear / bare / bier | To carry or endure; uncovered or empty; a stand for a coffin | I cannot bear the noise. | 2026 (I) |
In these sets each word was usually placed in another word's sentence, so most sentences were wrong.
Homophone sets: actions, feelings and events8 rows
| Set | Meanings | Correct use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pare / pair / pear | To trim or cut down; two of a kind; a fruit | Pare the budget to the minimum. | 2025 (I), 2026 (I) |
| Seize / cease / crease | To take by force; to stop; a fold line in cloth | The firing will cease at midnight. | 2025 (I) |
| Censer / censor / censure | A vessel for burning incense; to cut objectionable parts; to criticise strongly | The film board censored two scenes. | 2026 (I) |
| Fate / fete / faith | Destiny; a festive celebration; trust or belief | The village fete had stalls, games and music. | 2026 (I) |
| Idyll / idle / idol | A peaceful, happy scene; doing nothing; an image worshipped or a hero | The film star was the idol of the youth. | 2026 (I) |
| Insure / ensure / unsure | To protect with an insurance policy; to make certain; not certain | Ensure that the door is locked. | 2026 (I) |
| Weave / wave / waive | To make by crossing threads, or to put together; a ridge of water, or to move the hand; to give up a right | The bank agreed to waive the late fee. | 2026 (II) |
| Peak / peek / pique | The top or highest point; a quick look; resentment from hurt pride | His pique at being ignored showed on his face. | 2026 (II) |
Ensure and insure also came as a labelled pair in 2025 (I); pare, pair and pear came in both 2025 (I) and 2026 (I).
Near-homophones: words that only look alike5 rows
| Set | Meanings | Correct use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Séance / sconce / scone | A meeting to contact the dead; a candle holder fixed to a wall; a small baked cake | They served scones with tea. | 2025 (I) |
| Truism / altruism | A statement so obviously true it hardly needs saying; selfless concern for others | His altruism made him give away his savings. | 2025 (I) |
| Braid / beard / brood | To weave hair into a plait; hair on the chin; to sit on eggs, or to think gloomily | The hen broods her eggs. | 2025 (II) |
| Depose / deplore / deport | To remove from office; to condemn strongly; to send out of a country | The illegal migrants were deported. | 2025 (II) |
| Bate / bait / bade | To hold back or lessen; food used to trap an animal; past tense of bid (said goodbye) | We waited with bated breath. | 2025 (II) |
Deplore means to condemn, so it cannot sit happily next to something good.
Watch out for (12)
- Judging sentences against each other→ Noun, verb or adjective? Let the slot decide
- Rein and reign→ Noun, verb or adjective? Let the slot decide
- Quite and quiet→ Noun, verb or adjective? Let the slot decide
- Corps is not corpse→ Homophone sets: places, things and money
- Bear and bare→ Homophone sets: places, things and money
- All correct does happen→ Homophone sets: places, things and money
- Censor and censure→ Homophone sets: actions, feelings and events
- Ensure and insure→ Homophone sets: actions, feelings and events
- Waive and wave→ Homophone sets: actions, feelings and events
- Altruism is not a saying→ Near-homophones: words that only look alike
- Deplore is negative→ Near-homophones: words that only look alike
- A rare sense can still be right→ Near-homophones: words that only look alike
Test yourself on Vocabulary
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.