CONTEXT CLUES
DEFINITION
DEFINITION
Maggie was hesitant to hand in her homework, and waited till the end of the class to submit her work. What is hesitant? a) excited b) pause or wait c) very simple
to pause or wait
The sandpaper was coarse. It was so rough that it could smooth out the wood.
What does coarse mean? a)rough b)smooth
c) wood d) a subject
a) rough
Taylor is very loud, but his sister, Allison is reticent.
What does the word reticent mean? a) Pretty b) Silent c) Graceful d) Smart
b) silent
The students were growing ACCUSTOMED, or getting use to, their new schedule now that they were back at school. What does ACCUSTOMED mean?
Accustomed means ...getting used to
Lawson jumped over his lazy dog and walked to the kitchen. Lawson was famished. He thought about eating an apple. Dinner was still hours away. He was really hungry, so a snack would help.
What does the word famished mean? A. thirsty B. hungry C. angry D. full
B. hungry
The butterflies were RELEASED, set free to fly away. What does RELEASED mean?
set free
The dog was CONFINED to a small metal cage, unable to escape or even turn around. What does confined mean?
Confined means stuck in a small area, unable to move freely.
The cashier was polite, unlike the customer, who was quite CURT to her: CURT means: a) nice b) sad c) impolite d) strong
c) impolite
For our school field trip, we took an excursion: a short journey, to the Children’s Museum. What does the word excursion mean? a) Short Journey b) Class? c) Paintings d) Lunch?
a) short journey
Carlos GRINNED at his new puppy. The puppy was so happy all the time. He always made Carlos smile. Carlos could never be mad at him. He even named the puppy Happy. If a person grinned, that means he or she A. frowned B. yelled C. cried D. smiled
D. SMILED
The girl ABANDONED the kittens at the shelter, giving up the kittens was heartbreaking.
What does abandoned mean?
Abandoned means, to give up
The rangers gathered and began to DEVISE a plan. They came up with a good plan to search for the missing hikers. What does devise mean?
Devise means to come up with, or make, a plan
Dominic’s father said the map was simple, but when Dominic looked at it, he saw it was actually quite COMPLEX. Complex means ....
complicated, not easy
Jane saw a doll at the grocery store. She wanted her dad to buy it for her but he would not, he said they only have money for things they need, like food. A doll is not a NECESSITY. Nesessity means; a) something owned b)something needed c)something played d) something wanted
b) something needed.
Dana danced so NIMBLY that she got the part as the head dancer. What does the word nimbly mean? A. slowly and loudly B. pretty and roughly C. quickly and lightly
C. quickly and lightly
The teacher SEIZED the students cell phones, taking them away until dismissal time. What does SEIZED mean?
Seized means; to grab and take away.
The cat PEERED out the window, looking down at the people on the street. What does peered mean?
Peered means to look.
Chen’s parents taught him that it was always better to tell the truth rather than a FALSEHOOD. FALSEHOOD means: a) not the truth b) right information c) a guess d) story
a) not the truth
Madeline is a very SLENDER woman. Her clothes are very small. She enjoys running and eating healthy food. To be slender means to be A) large B) sad
C) skinny D)big
C) Skinny
The city was silent. The only noise in the early morning was the patter of raindrops outside. It was a dark and rainy Saturday. People stayed inside and listened to the rain as it tapped on their windows. The sad kids waited for the rain to stop. They wanted to play outside. What does the word patter mean?
A. buzzing B. blowing C. tapping D. splashing
C- TAPPING
Dinosaurs went EXTINCT, or died out, about 65 million years ago. What does the word EXTINCT mean?
died out, don't exist anymore
The cat was hungry and searching for food. He begun SCROUNGING through the garbage hoping he would find something to eat: SCROUNGING means to: a)fight b)smell c)search d) run
c) search
Mike kept to himself at first, but then he began to MINGLE with the other kids at the playground. What does mingle mean?
Mingle means to talk, play and socialize.
The rabbit is a swift animal. It can run away from bigger animals. It is really hard to catch. To be swift means ....
to be fast
Ruth felt gloomy because of the rain outside. She wanted to go outside and play with her friends, but she could not. Playing inside by herself was boring. She did not have anything to do. The word gloomy means to be A. happy B. sad C. wet D. tired
B. sad