SOMETHING IN COMMON I
Credit: GAMES Magazine
April, 2006
Stephen Sniderman

In each puzzle below, the blanks before and after each word can be filled in with the same set of letters to form four longer words. For example, given the clue

_ I _ _
_ ID _ _
_ OR _ _
_ ARM _ _ ,

the answer would be

WITH
WIDTH
WORTH
WARMTH

1)
_ ANTE _ _
_ HEAP _ _
_ HICK _ _
_ OARS _ _

2)
_ TO _ _
_ HER _ _
_ URGE _ _
_ ANITA _ _

3)
_ HE _ _
_ PIN _ _
_ CARL _ _
_ TRUMP _ _

4)
_ _ AIN _
_ _ AND _
_ _ EWER _
_ _ AVER _

5)
_ _ TIM _ _ _
_ _ TEST _ _ _
_ _ TIMID _ _ _
_ _ TEMPER _ _ _

6)
_ _ _ BIN _
_ _ _ PAR _
_ _ _ PET _
_ _ _ PUT _

7)

_ AS _
_ LEG _
_ POX _
_ QUIT _

8)

_ _ TIN _ _
_ _ BUTT _ _
_ _ HEARS _ _
_ _ CREATION_ _

Answers:

1)
CANTEEN
CHEAPEN
CHICKEN
COARSEN

2)
STORY
SHERRY
SURGERY
SANITARY

3)
SHEET
SPINET
SCARLET
STRUMPET

4)
BRAINY
BRANDY
BREWERY
BRAVERY

5)
INTIMATE
INTESTATE
INTIMIDATE
INTEMPERATE

6)
COMBINE
COMPARE
COMPETE
COMPUTE 

7)
EASY
ELEGY
EPOXY
EQUITY

8)
RETINAL
REBUTTAL
REHEARSAL
RECREATIONAL