Context Clues

Please be careful with that vase. It is quite fragile and I don't want it to break. The word fragile means: a) easily broken b) beautiful c) useful

Mara worried that the kids at school would make fun of her new glasses. She did not want to be mocked just for having poor vision. The word mocked means: a) admired b) teased c) hated

Allan was always bragging and showing off. His brother, David, on the other hand, was a quiet and humble boy. The word humble means: a) stupid b) not annoying c) not prideful

The severe weather caused many roads to close. School was cancelled and everyone stayed indoors. The word severe means: a) snowy b) harsh c) pleasant

Amelia rarely paid attention in class. By contrast, her best friend Tasha was always very attentive and listened carefully to everything the teacher said. The word attentive means: a) focused b) bored c) nice

Mara checked her numbers one last time. She wanted her report to be accurate so that her boss would know she had done a good job. The word accurate means: a) correct b) exciting c) interesting

Susan reduced the amount of paper she was using by always remembering to use both sides of each piece. The word reduced means: a) increased b) decreased c) added to

The sun was low in the sky. Everyone was packing up and getting ready to go home because the park would close at dusk. The word dusk means: a) dawn b) midnight c) sunset

Dr. Callie had worked for years on her project. She had done a considerable amount of research and felt ready to present his work at the conference. The word considerable means: a) small b) medium c) large

Talia preferred the red shirt because she likes red more than yellow or blue. The word preferred means: a) would rather have b) washed c) does not want

Lucy was furious when she discovered that the dog had eaten her homework again! The word furious means: a) amused b) angry c) tired

Michael's mother asked him to pick some peaches. He went out to the orchard. The word orchard means: a) fruit stand b) grove of fruit trees c) store

Everyone contributed something for the food drive. Ana and her family donated a large bag of canned goods. The word contributed means: a) gave b) borrowed c) received

On a typical day, Jane would eat lunch at noon. However, if she had a meeting at noon, she would not eat until 2:00. The word typical means: a) ordinary b) beautiful c) busy

Mom spent all day working in the garden. She felt weary and just wanted to go to bed. The word weary means: a) tired b) sick c) annoyed

Benjamin ate three pieces of cake and two scoops of ice cream. An hour later, his stomach felt queasy and he decided to lie down for awhile. The word queasy means: a) better b) empty c) sick

Mother divided the cake into six equal portions for the children. The word portion means: a) parts b) plates c) desserts

Lauren loves to read. She frequently spends her Saturday afternoons curled up with a book. The word frequently means: a) never b) often c) sometimes

Mr. Jessup was delighted by the generosity of her students. They had all offered to share their lunches with Amber, who had forgotten hers. The word generosity means: a) kindness b) intelligence c) excitement

Jenny told me about the movie she saw, but she did not reveal the ending because she knew I was going to see it too. The word reveal means: a) change b) hide c) tell

The book shelf was sturdy enough to hold all of Nathan's books without falling apart. The word sturdy means: a) strong b) tall c) big

You must never explore a cave by yourself. It is essential for you to go with at least one other person. The word essential means: a) not important b) very important c) acceptable

No one lived in the old house. The paint was peeling and the yard was overgrown. It had been vacant for a long time. The word vacant means: a) haunted b) empty c) lonely

Everyone had a good time at the picnic. The games were fun and the food was plentiful. In fact, there was so much food they had to take some home. The word plentiful means: a) yummy b) scarce c) more than enough

The valiant young woman grabbed the little boy just in time to save him from the speeding car. The word valiant means: a) clever b) angry c) brave

After about an hour, the fireman concluded his talk by reminding everyone to check their smoke alarms as soon as they got home. The word concluded means: a) began b) continued c) ended

Becky had waited all week to go to the beach. She was so eager to leave on Saturday morning that she woke everyone up at 6:00! The word eager means: a) excited b) unhappy c) scared

What an extraordinary day we had! First we found buried treasure in the backyard and then we were interviewed on television! The word extraordinary means: a) interesting b) amazing c) unremarkable

Maria noticed that Mrs. Linn's curtains were still closed. Maria thought that was peculiar because Mrs. Linn always opened her curtains in the morning. The word peculiar means: a) odd b) good c) stupid

As Jake struggled to solve the problems on the test, it became apparent that he had not spent enough time studying. The word apparent means: a) sad b) clear c)mysterious

My mom would not permit me to ride my bike to the store. However, she would let my older sister ride her bike to the store. The word permit means: a) allow b) ask c) help

Lily wanted to go to the movies, but she knew that she would benefit more by going to the afternoon study group. The word benefit means: a) talk b) be helped c) be entertained