Multiple Meaning
Sentence Formulation
Main Idea/Details
Vocabulary A
Vocabulary B
20

Leaves

1. exits a location

2. the green parts of a plant on the end of a stem/limb

...

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When

Bat

When we saw the bat flying toward us...

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Carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and wearing scary costumes are some of the time-honored traditions of Halloween. Yet, the Halloween holiday has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”), a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints. Soon after, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows Eve, and later, Halloween. Here is a look at the origins of some of the classic Halloween traditions we know today. 

https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/

The Origins of Halloween

How Halloween Got Started

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Exhilaration

Josh felt a wave of exhilaration as he ran past the finish line. He could not believe that he had won the race and beat his own record. 

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

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Apparition

The man became scared after he thought he saw an apparition; he had been told that the house was haunted. 

a ghostly appearing figure

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Charge

1. to pay with a card

2. to replenish the power on an electronic device

3. to run powerfully and quickly forward toward something

...

20

Because

Trick-or-Treating

We didn't go trick-or-treating because...

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The tradition of carving Jack-o’-Lanterns originated in Ireland using turnips instead of pumpkins. It is allegedly based on a legend about a man named Stingy Jack who repeatedly trapped the Devil and only let him go on the condition that Jack would never go to Hell. But when Jack died, he learned that Heaven did not want his soul either, so he was forced to wander the Earth as a ghost for eternity. The Devil gave Jack a burning lump of coal in a carved-out turnip to light his way. Locals eventually began carving scary faces into their own turnips to frighten away evil spirits.

The Legend of the Jack-o'-Lantern

How Jack-o'-Lanterns Got Started


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Glum

Belinda felt glum after her mother told her they could not go trick-or-treating this year because her younger brother was sick. 

moody, sad, and sorrowful

20

Behemoth 

He described the monster as an absolute behemoth; he compared its size and power to an elephant or dump truck. 

someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful

30

Grave

1. A place where people/animals are buried

2. Serious and somber

30

If

Werewolf

If I dress up as a werewolf...

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The festival of Samhain marked the transition to the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of the winter. Celtic people believed that during the festival, spirits walked the Earth. Later on, Christian missionaries introduced All Souls’ Day on November 2, which perpetuated the idea of the living coming into contact with the dead around the same time of year. In order to avoid being terrorized by all the evil spirits walking the Earth during Samhain, the Celts donned disguises in order to confuse the spirits and be left alone.

Why Ghosts and Costumes are Related to Halloween

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Menacing

My mom made me change out of my zombie costume because it was so menacing, my little sister began to cry.

threatening evil or danger

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Dim

He could barely see the pictures on the wall from the dim light coming from the two candles.

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

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Mold

1. A form of fungus

2. To form into a specific shape

3. A hollow container used to make a specific shape of object

...

30

As soon as

Creature

As soon as the creature crawled out of the box...

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The game of bobbing for apples has been a staple at Halloween parties for many years, but its origins are more rooted in love and romance. The game traces back to a courting ritual that was part of a Roman festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of agriculture and abundance. While multiple versions existed, the gist was that young men and women would be able to predict their future relationships based on the game. When the Romans conquered the British Isles in 43 AD, the Pomona festival blended with the similarly timed Samhain, a precursor to Halloween.

The History of Bobbing for Apples

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Hazy

When she opened the door on Halloween morning, she saw how hazy the air was; she could barely see the car in the driveway. 

filled or abounding with fog or mist

30

Eerie

There was something eerie about the old abandoned house on the corner; no one lived there but you occasionally saw a light on in the attic. 

suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious

50

Draft

1. Being called to war

2. Gusts of cool air in a room

3. A version of a paper/essay/project

...

50

Until

Fear

We had a feeling of fear in the pit of our stomachs until...

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In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes. 

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#history-of-trick-or-treating

How Halloween Changed Over the Years

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Vague

We could not tell what Juan's costume was because it was so vague. There were no clear clues to what he actually was dressed up to be. 

lacking clarity or distinctness

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Cackle

The crows' caws resembled the cackling of a villain happily reacting to her evil jokes. 

to emit a loud, unpleasant kind of laughing

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