Context Clues
Using clues in a sentence to figure out
the definition of an unknown word.
Use your detective skills to identify the
meaning of the underlined word in the
following sentences.
The woman loathed her new purse;
she returned it and purchased a new
Coach purse instead.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for loathed?
a. Loved
b. Inspired
c. Run
d. Hated
2. Which of the following
is a suffix in the
underlined
word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
loathe
loa
ed
th
The boy stood transfixed, watching
as the baseball he hit flew over the
outfield for his first homerun.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for transfixed?
a. Amazed
b. Angrily
c. Sadly
d. Hard
2. Which of the following
is a suffix in the
underlined
word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
loathe
loa
ed
th
“The wind was a torrent of
darkness among the gusty trees.”
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for torrent?
2. Which of the following
is an adjective in the
sentence above?
a. Small
b. Simile
c. Flood
d. Loud
a.
b.
c.
d.
The
A
Of
Gusty
The woman did not want the robbers
to know she was in the house hiding,
so she did not strive to get out of the
cramped closet.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for strive?
2. Which of the following is
a coordinating conjunction
in the above sentence?
a. Peacefully
b. Cry
c. Hide
d. Struggle
a.
b.
c.
d.
to
so
the
of
“If our eyes we’d close, then the
lashes froze til sometimes we couldn’t
see; it wasn’t much fun, but the only
one to whimper was Sam McGee.”
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for whimper?
a. Laugh
b. Call
c. Whine
d. Hated
2. Which piece if
punctuation is used after
the word “see” in the
above sentence?
a.
b.
c.
d.
colon
semi-colon
comma
conjunction
‘Orpheus was inconsolable. All day
long he mourned his bride, while
birds, beasts, and the earth itself
sorrowed with him.”
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for inconsolable?
a. Heartbroken
b. Happy
c. Excited
d. Large
2.Which of the following
is a prefix found in the
word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
able
Console
in
all
The mountain climbers ascended the
mountain, trying to get to the top
before nightfall.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for ascended?
a. Fall
b. Call
c. Go down
d. Climbed up
2.Which of the following
is a suffix found in the
underlined word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
As
cend
d
ed
“The student’s mouth was parched ;
she asked Mrs. Hoot if she could get a
drink.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for parched?
a. Wet
b. Dry
c. Young
d. Damp
2. Which of the following
is a suffix found in the
underlined word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
par
parch
ed
d
“But as the river flows downwards to
the sea, it becomes wide and shallow,
extending into pestilential marshes,
the home of fatal diseases.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for pestilential?
a. Lively
b. Dry
c. Deadly
d. Wet
2. Which of the following
is an adjective from the
sentence above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
But
as
flows
wide
“The pliant branch allowed the ship
wrecked sailor to use it to create a
bow.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for pliant?
2. Which of the following
words in the sentence
above is a noun?
a. Hard
b. Easily bent
c. Thick
d. Damp
a.
b.
c.
d.
sailor
create
a
pliant
The students were admonished for
throwing food in the cafeteria.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
antonym for admonished?
a. Warned
b. Praised
c. Yelled at
d. Hated
2. Which of the following
is a suffix in the
underlined
word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
ad
admonish
ed
mon
The breach in the damn was followed
by a torrent of water rushing towards
the town.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for breach?
a. Seal
b. Close
c. Water
d. Opening
2. Which of the following
is a suffix in the
underlined
word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
ad
admonish
ed
mon
Police searched a three square mile
area for the brigand accused of
robbing the bank .
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for brigand?
2. Which of the following
is an action verb in the
sentence above?
a. Police Officer
b. Good Samaritan
c. Teacher
d. Outlaw
a.
b.
c.
d.
Brigand
Bank
Searched
Mile
The hunter was circumspect while
approaching the bear; he wanted to
make sure the bear would not attack.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for circumspect?
a. Reckless
b. Wild
c. Careful
d. Careless
2. Which of the following
is a suffix in the
underlined
word above?
a.
b.
c.
d.
ad
admonish
ed
mon
The Navy Seal commandeered the
vehicle from the man to chase down
the enemy.
1. Which of the following
2. Which of the following
words would be the best
is the root word in the
synonym for commandeered? underlined word above?
a. Seized
b. Gave
c. Quickly
d. Hated
a.
b.
c.
d.
Commandeered
Commandeer
Ed
Comm
It took five people to get the clumsy,
cumbersome couch up the stairs and
through the narrow hallway .
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for cumbersome?
2.Which literary device is
seen in the sentence
above?
a. Clumsy
b. Small
c. Easy to move couch
d. Circumspect
a.
b.
c.
d.
Hyperbole
Alliteration
Metaphor
Simile
The Muncy and Hughesville basketball
teams were in a deadlock; the game
had to go into overtime.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for deadlock?
a. agreement
b. gym
c. standstill
d. progress
2. Which of the following
words in the above
sentence is a proper
noun?
a.
b.
c.
d.
game
basketball
overtime
Hughesville
Debris was scattered all over the
ground after the building was torn
down.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for debris?
a. money
b. mud
c. new materials
d. rubble
2. Which of the following
words in the sentence
above is a preposition?
a.
b.
c.
d.
was
the
over
torn
The perfume store tried to diffuse the
smell of their fragrances into the mall
to attract customers.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for diffuse?
2. Which of the following
words above is a
preposition?
a. concentrate
b. spread
c. sell
d. keep
a.
b.
c.
d.
attract
mall
perfume
into
The firefighters struggled for hours to
come up with an answer to the
dilemma of how to get the cat out of
the tree.
1. Which of the following
words would be the best
synonym for dilemma?
a.
b.
c.
d.
answer
response
problem
debris
2.Which of the following
words in the sentence
above is an action verb?
a.
b.
c.
d.
hours
of
cat
struggled
“Grim and unmoving sat the dark king
of the dead on his ebony throne, yet
the tears shone on his rigid cheeks in
the light of his ghastly torches.
1. Which of these words is
synonym of ghastly?
a. bright
b. horrible
c. radiant
d. debris
2.The above sentence is a
a. simple sentence
b. compound sentence
“He toiled up the path in reluctance
and despair, stopping, listening,
sighing, take a few slow steps until
the dark thinned out into grayness.”
1. Which of these words is
synonym of reluctance?
a. willingness
b. unwillingness
c. happiness
d. joy
2.The above sentence is a
a. simple sentence
b. compound sentence
“But at last Hera realized that Echo
was doing this on purpose to detain
her while Zeus went quietly back to
Olympus as if he had never really
been away.”
1. Which of these words is
synonym of detain?
a. speed up
b. help
c. assist
d. delay
2.The above sentence is a
a. simple sentence
b. compound sentence
The narcissistic man looked at himself
in the mirror everyday; he only cared
about himself.
1. Which of these words is
synonym of narcissistic?
a. self-loving
b. helpful
c. caring
d. charitable
2. The word “he” as used
in the sentence above is
a
a.
b.
c.
d.
noun
Pronoun
only
cared
“Well, he shall love himself and no
one else, and yet shall die of
unrequited love.”
1. Which of these words is
synonym of unrequited?
a. mutual
b. helpful
c. caring
d. unreturned
2. The prefix “un”, as
used in the word
unrequited, means
a.
b.
c.
d.
again
not
opposite
middle
“Drawing out his arms, he gazed
intently downward, as the water grew
still again, saw once more the face of
his beloved.”
1. Which of the following
best defines the
underlined word in the
sentence?
a. with great care
b. quickly
c. with great concentration
d. With little thought
2. The use of the sufflix
“ly” makes the word
intently an
a. adjective
b. adverb
a. interjection
b. article
“But he could not long escape the
anger of Juno, who afflicted him with
a sudden madness, so he did not
know what he was doing.”
1. Which of the following
best defines the
underlined word in the
sentence?
a. helped
b. tormented
c. assisted
d. chased
2. The use of the sufflix
“ed” makes the word
afflicted a
a. past tense adjective
b. adverb
a. interjection
b. past tense verb
Hydra was a snake with six venomous
heads filled with poison.
1. Which of the following
best defines the
underlined word in the
sentence?
a. harmless
b. poisonous
c. helpful
d. mean
2. The use of the sufflix
“ous” makes the word
venomous an
a. adverb
b. adjective
a. interjection
Inside the palace the king called for a
goblet with water. As soon as it
touched his lips he was no longer
parched.
1. Which of the following
best defines the
underlined word in the
sentence?
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“he” in the above
sentence?
a.
b.
c.
d.
a. palace
b. goblet
c. lips
d. the king
barrel
ground
plate
cup
The brigands ravaged the town,
leaving nothing standing.
1. Which of the following is
an antonym of the
underlined word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
destroyed
built
attacked
held
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“he” in the above
sentence?
a. palace
b. goblet
c. lips
d. the king
“The old man was very frightened and
implored him to give up the idea, for
he would only die and perhaps all
those in the house too.
1. Which of the following is
a synonym of the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
destroyed
begged
attacked
told
2. An adjective in the
above sentence is
a. the
b. was
c. him
d. old
Justin Bieber waited for the audience
to arrive for the concert before he
commenced singing.
1. Which of the following is
a synonym of the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
stopped
kept
began
halted
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“he” in the above
sentence?
a. audience
b. Justin Bieber
c. singing
d. arrive
The helicopter hovered over the
school before landing on the football
field.
1. Which of the following is
a synonym of the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
stopped
landed
floated
halted
2. As used in the above
sentence, the suffix “ed”
means
a. adjective
b. adverb
c. past tense verb
d. present tense verb
The brigand was an imposter. He had
dressed up to look like a police officer.
1. Which of the following
best defines the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
fake
real
actual
student
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“he” in the above
sentence?
a. audience
b. Justin Bieber
c. singing
d. arrive
The store clerk cowered under the
counter as the brigands made off with
the money.
1. Which of the following
best defines the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
stood bravely
stood his ground
to talk calmly to
trembled in fear
2. As used in the
sentence above, the
word “money” is a
a. verb
b. pronoun
c. noun
d. preposition
The ballerina was lithe; she was able
to make jumping, bending, and
dancing look easy.
1. Which of the following
best defines the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
fake
cumbersome
flexible and graceful
inflexible
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“she” in the above
sentence?
a. dancing
b. ballerina
c. was
d. bending
The boat was tethered to the
shoreline; the captain did not want it
to float away.
1. Which of the following
best defines the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
loose
floating
untied
tied
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“it” in the above
sentence?
a. captain
b. shoreline
c. boat
d. float
It took the Americans months to
decipher the codes the Germans used
during World War II.
1. Which of the following
best defines the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
scramble
figure out
code
challenge
2. What part of speech is
decipher?
a. adverb
b. adjective
c. noun
d. verb
The student was unable to evade Mr.
Allen; he was eventually caught and
given two hours of detention.
1. Which of the following
best defines the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
avoid
find
catch
discover
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“he” in the above
sentence?
a. Mr. Allen
b. student
c. detention
d. caught
The principal worked hard to abate
the bullying in the school; he had an
assembly for all students to discuss
the effects of bullying.
1. Which of the following
best defines the underlined
word?
a.
b.
c.
d.
increase
stop
keep
discover
2. What is the
antecedent of the word
“he” in the above
sentence?
a. bullying
b. students
c. assembly
d. principal
Demigod– the offspring of a god
and a mortal, who has some but not
all the powers of a god
Write an original simile using the vocabulary
word. Be ready to share your example
with the class!
Grim– gloomy
Write a sentence with personification
using the vocabulary word. Be ready to
share your example with the class!
Mast– vertical part of a ship that
supports the sails
Write an original sentence using the
vocabulary word about the picture.
Moor- To fix in place, secure.
Write a sentence with a hyperbole using the
vocabulary word.
Motley- Having a great variety
Write a sentence about your favorite celebrity
using the vocabulary word.
Prow- The forward part of a ships hull
Write a sentence about the above picture
that includes onomatopoeia.
Skiff– A flat bottomed boat
Share a personal connection about a time you
have seen or been in a skiff.
Scythe- An tool consisting of a long,
curved single edged blade with a long
bent handle, used for mowing or
reaping.
List two ways a scythe might be used on a
farm here in Muncy.
Tweak– To twist sharply
Write an original sentence using the
vocabulary word.
Disposition– A persons mood
Share a short story about a time when you
had a happy disposition.
Savage– fierce, angry, or uncivilized
List two savage characters from a movie,
television, or a book.
Taunt– To mock or insult someone.
Share a story about a sporting event you saw
attended where one team was taunted.
Mischievous– causing trouble
Write a sentence with alliteration using the
word mischievous.
Abduction– The state of being
kidnapped
Share a news story you have read about or
seen about an abduction.
Unwittingly- not intentional,
accidentally
Write an original sentence about the picture
above using the vocabulary word.
Hospitality– The friendly treatment
of guests.
Write about a time when someone showed
you hospitality.
Boisterously– noisily
Share a story about a time when students
were boisterously celebrating in school.
Summon– To call upon
Write a sentence using the vocabulary word
above using onomatopoeia.
Suitor– A man who courts or woos a
woman
Write a couplet about the picture above. Use
the vocabulary word in the couplet.
Serene– calm
Use visual imagery to describe a place you
would consider serene.