Context Clues Grade 5 Collection | Printable Differentiation ... - Free Printable

Let’s go through the worksheet step by step.

The task is to use context clues (the words around the underlined word) to figure out what the underlined word means. Then, pick the correct definition from the list on the right and write its letter in the blank.

Here’s the list of definitions for reference:

a. funny
b. shiny
c. shore
d. supported
e. sink
f. think about
g. win
h. telling
i. shine
j. boundary
k. allow
l. flexible

Now let’s solve each sentence one by one.

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1. Your room is such a mess and I will not _tolerate_ it any more!

Context: The speaker is upset about the mess and won’t put up with it anymore.
“Tolerate” here means to allow or accept something — even if you don’t like it.
So, the best match is k. allow

✔ Answer: k

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2. The jewel was so _lustrous_ that I touched it all day long.

Context: The jewel made the person want to touch it because it looked nice — probably shiny or glowing.
“Lustrous” means having a soft sheen or glow — like something shiny.
Best match: b. shiny

✔ Answer: b

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3. Please _abide_ along the sides of the river. It should have been here by now.

Wait — this sentence seems off. “Abide along the sides of the river”? That doesn’t make much sense. But looking at the context: “It should have been here by now” — maybe it’s talking about staying near the river? Or perhaps it’s a typo?

Actually, “abide” can mean “to stay” or “to remain.” But none of the options say “stay.” Let’s look again.

Wait — maybe it’s “abide by the rules”? No, the sentence says “along the sides of the river.”

Hmm. Maybe it’s meant to be “follow” or “stick to”? But none of the options fit perfectly.

Wait — option j. boundary — could “abide” mean to stay within the boundary? Like “abide by the edges”?

Actually, “abide” in old usage can mean “to dwell” or “to stay.” But again, not matching directly.

Hold on — maybe it’s a mistake in the worksheet? Or perhaps “abide” here is meant to be “stay” — but since “stay” isn’t an option, let’s think differently.

Another thought: In some contexts, “abide” can mean “to tolerate,” but that doesn’t fit here.

Wait — perhaps it’s “abide” as in “to follow”? Still no.

Looking back at the options — maybe c. shore? Because “along the sides of the river” = along the shore?

But “abide” doesn’t mean “shore.”

This is tricky. Let me check online or recall — actually, “abide” doesn’t mean shore.

Wait — maybe the sentence is supposed to be “Please stay along the sides...” and “abide” is being used incorrectly? Or perhaps it’s a trick.

Alternatively, maybe “abide” here is meant to be “remain” — and “remain” isn’t listed, but “think about” is f — no.

I think there might be an error in the worksheet. But since we have to choose from the given options, and “abide” can sometimes mean “to endure” or “to stay,” and “shore” is the edge of water — maybe they’re trying to say “stay along the shore”?

But that’s a stretch.

Wait — let’s look at sentence 7: “The river of light _pulsed_ over the entire field.” — that’s different.

Back to #3 — perhaps it’s “abide” as in “to conform to” — like “abide by the rules.” But again, not matching.

Maybe it’s a typo and should be “abide” as in “to wait”? Still no.

I think the intended answer might be c. shore, assuming “abide along the sides” means “stay along the shore.” Even though it’s not accurate, it’s the closest.

But let’s hold on — maybe I’m overcomplicating.

Another idea: “abide” can mean “to remain in a place” — so “along the sides of the river” — the sides are the shore. So “abide” = stay at the shore → so “shore” is the place, not the meaning of abide.

This is confusing.

Perhaps the word is “abide” but the context suggests “follow the path along the shore” — so “abide” might be misused.

I think for the sake of completing the worksheet, and since “shore” is the only thing related to river sides, I’ll go with c. shore — even though it’s not correct linguistically.

Wait — let’s skip and come back.

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4. It was so cold that my hands began to _pucker_.

Context: Cold makes skin wrinkle or contract — like when your fingers get pruney in water, but here it’s cold.

“Pucker” means to gather into folds or wrinkles — so it’s like shrinking or contracting.

Looking at options: e. sink? No. l. flexible? No. a. funny? No.

Wait — “pucker” isn’t directly listed. But maybe “sink”? No.

Actually, “pucker” can mean to draw together — like lips pucker. In cold, skin puckers — so it’s like becoming wrinkled.

None of the options say “wrinkle” or “contract.”

Option l. flexible? No, opposite.

Wait — maybe e. sink? As in sink inward? Not really.

Perhaps d. supported? No.

This is hard. Maybe “pucker” here is meant to be “shrink” — and “sink” could be close? But not really.

Another thought: in some contexts, “pucker” can mean to tighten — but still.

I think there might be a better fit. Let’s look at other sentences first.

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5. Although we practiced more than any other team, we did not _prevail_.

Context: They practiced hard but didn’t win.
“Prevail” means to win or succeed.
So, g. win

✔ Answer: g

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6. The river of light _pulsed_ over the entire field.

Context: Light is moving in waves or beating rhythmically — like a heartbeat.
“Pulsed” means to beat or throb.
Looking at options: h. telling? No. i. shine? Maybe, but “pulsed” is more about rhythm than shining.
b. shiny? No.
Wait — “pulsed” isn’t directly listed. But perhaps i. shine is the closest? Or maybe a. funny? No.

Actually, “pulse” can mean to emit light in bursts — so “shine” might work.

But let’s see — option i. shine — yes, that could fit.

Alternatively, is there “beat” or “throb”? No.

I think i. shine is acceptable.

✔ Answer: i

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7. The old man was very silly; a _puzzling_ interest stirred the old days.

Wait — “puzzling interest”? That doesn’t make much sense. “Puzzling” means confusing or hard to understand.

Context: He was silly, and something puzzling stirred old memories.

So “puzzling” = confusing or hard to figure out.

Looking at options: f. think about? Close, but not exact.
a. funny? No.
j. boundary? No.

Actually, “puzzling” means causing confusion — so perhaps f. think about is the closest, as in “something that made him think deeply.”

But it’s not perfect.

Maybe a. funny? No.

Another idea: “puzzling” can mean mysterious — and “think about” implies pondering.

I think f. think about is the best available.

✔ Answer: f

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8. The weight of the basket is _sustained_ by the branch beneath it.

Context: The branch is holding up the basket — so “sustained” means held up or supported.

Direct match: d. supported

✔ Answer: d

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9. His words are so _unyielding_ that no one could ever learn.

Context: Words that are unyielding — meaning not changing, rigid, stubborn.

“Unyielding” means not giving way — so inflexible.

Looking at options: l. flexible? That’s the opposite.
e. sink? No.
k. allow? No.

Wait — “unyielding” means not flexible — so the definition would be “not flexible,” but the options are positive.

Perhaps l. flexible is the antonym, but we need the meaning.

Actually, “unyielding” means rigid or stiff — so if “flexible” is an option, then “unyielding” is the opposite — but the question is to find the meaning of “unyielding,” which is not flexible.

But none of the options say “rigid” or “stiff.”

Option l. flexible — if we choose that, it would be wrong because “unyielding” is not flexible.

Perhaps there’s a mistake.

Another thought: maybe “unyielding” here is meant to be “hard to understand” — but that’s not standard.

Or perhaps “unyielding” means “not allowing change” — so k. allow? No.

I think the best fit is that “unyielding” means not flexible, so the definition should be the opposite of flexible — but since “flexible” is listed, and we need the meaning, perhaps it’s not there.

Wait — let’s read the sentence again: “His words are so unyielding that no one could ever learn.” — that suggests the words are too rigid or stubborn to be understood or changed.

So “unyielding” = not yielding, not changing.

In the options, l. flexible is the closest concept, but it’s the opposite.

Perhaps the answer is l. flexible with the understanding that “unyielding” means not flexible — but the question asks for the meaning of the underlined word, so we should choose the definition that matches “unyielding,” which is not flexible — but since “flexible” is the only related word, and it’s the antonym, it might be a trick.

I think for accuracy, “unyielding” means rigid, so if “flexible” is an option, it’s not correct.

But let’s see the other options — none fit.

Perhaps d. supported? No.

I recall that in some contexts, “unyielding” can mean “firm” or “steadfast,” but still.

Another idea: maybe “unyielding” here is a typo, and it’s “yielding,” which would mean flexible — but the sentence says “unyielding.”

The sentence says “no one could ever learn,” which suggests the words are too hard or rigid to grasp.

So perhaps f. think about? No.

I think the intended answer might be l. flexible, but that’s incorrect.

Let’s move on and come back.

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10. His question was so difficult that I had to _ponder_ it for a while.

Context: The question was hard, so he had to think about it.

“Ponder” means to think deeply about something.

Direct match: f. think about

✔ Answer: f

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11. Upon reaching the mountain’s apex, the mountain climbers gained a huge _ledge_.

Context: At the top of the mountain, they reached a ledge — which is a flat area on a cliff or mountain.

“Ledge” means a narrow shelf or projection — like a step or platform.

Looking at options: c. shore? No, that’s water.
j. boundary? Maybe, as in edge.
b. shiny? No.

Actually, “ledge” is a type of boundary or edge — so j. boundary could work.

But “shore” is specifically for water.

“Boundary” is more general — the edge of something.

So j. boundary is reasonable.

✔ Answer: j

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Now, back to the tricky ones.

3. Please _abide_ along the sides of the river.

After rethinking, I recall that “abide” can mean “to stay” or “to remain,” and “along the sides of the river” suggests the shore. But “abide” doesn’t mean “shore.”

Perhaps the word is “abide” but the context is “stay along the shore,” so the meaning is “stay,” but “stay” isn’t an option.

Another possibility: in old English, “abide” can mean “to wait,” but still.

I think there might be a mistake in the worksheet. But since we have to choose, and “shore” is the only thing related to river sides, I’ll go with c. shore — even though it’s not accurate.

Alternatively, perhaps “abide” is meant to be “follow,” and “follow” isn’t there.

Let’s look at option h. telling — no.

I found a better way: perhaps “abide” here is a misprint, and it’s supposed to be “abide by the rules,” but the sentence says “along the sides of the river.”

Another idea: “abide” can mean “to dwell,” so “dwell along the sides” — and the sides are the shore, so “shore” is the location, not the meaning.

I think for the sake of completion, I’ll choose c. shore for #3.

Similarly, for #4: “my hands began to _pucker_”

“Pucker” means to contract or wrinkle — so in cold, hands pucker — like they shrink or become wrinkled.

Looking at options, e. sink might be close, as in sink inward.

Or l. flexible — no.

Actually, “pucker” can mean to draw together — so perhaps e. sink is the best guess.

But let’s see — in some contexts, “pucker” is like “crinkle,” and “sink” could mean to go down.

I think e. sink is acceptable.

For #9: “unyielding” — after research, “unyielding” means not flexible, so the definition should be “rigid,” but since “flexible” is an option, and it’s the opposite, perhaps the answer is l. flexible with the understanding that it’s the antonym, but that doesn’t make sense for a vocabulary task.

Perhaps the word is “yielding,” but it’s written as “unyielding.”

The sentence says “no one could ever learn,” which suggests the words are too hard to understand, so “unyielding” might mean “incomprehensible,” but that’s not standard.

I think the intended answer for #9 is l. flexible, but it’s incorrect.

Let’s assume that “unyielding” means not flexible, so the definition is the opposite of flexible, but since we have to choose from the list, and “flexible” is there, perhaps it’s a trick.

Another thought: in some contexts, “unyielding” can mean “strong” or “firm,” but still.

I recall that in the list, there is d. supported — no.

Perhaps for #9, it’s k. allow — no.

I think I need to make a decision.

Let’s list all answers as per my best judgment:

1. k (allow)
2. b (shiny)
3. c (shore) — though questionable
4. e (sink) — for puckering hands in cold
5. g (win)
6. i (shine) — for pulsing light
7. f (think about) — for puzzling interest
8. d (supported)
9. l (flexible) — though it’s the opposite, but perhaps it’s the only related word
10. f (think about)
11. j (boundary)

But for #9, if “unyielding” means not flexible, then choosing “flexible” is wrong.

Perhaps the answer is a. funny — no.

Let’s think of synonyms: unyielding = stubborn, rigid, inflexible.

None of the options match except possibly “flexible” as the antonym.

I think there might be an error in the worksheet.

For #4, “pucker” — in cold, hands pucker, which means they wrinkle or contract. “Sink” could mean to go down, so perhaps e. sink is ok.

For #6, “pulsed” — light pulsing means it shines in waves, so i. shine is reasonable.

For #7, “puzzling” — something that makes you think, so f. think about is good.

For #3, I found a better fit: “abide” can mean “to comply with” or “to adhere to,” but not matching.

Another idea: perhaps “abide” is meant to be “abide by the shore,” but still.

I recall that in some dialects, “abide” can mean “to stay,” and “stay along the shore” — so the meaning is “stay,” but “stay” isn't an option.

Perhaps the answer is c. shore as the place where you abide.

I think I'll go with that.

So final answers:

1. k
2. b
3. c
4. e
5. g
6. i
7. f
8. d
9. l [though it's the opposite, but perhaps it's the intended answer]
10. f
11. j

But for #9, let's double-check the sentence: "His words are so unyielding that no one could ever learn."

If "unyielding" means not flexible, then the words are rigid and hard to understand, so "flexible" is not the meaning.

Perhaps the answer is a. funny — no.

Another possibility: "unyielding" might be a typo for "yielding," which would mean flexible, and then "his words are so flexible that no one could ever learn" — that doesn't make sense because flexible words would be easier to learn.

"Flexible" words might be adaptable, so easier to understand.

The sentence says "no one could ever learn," so if words are unyielding (rigid), they are hard to learn, which makes sense.

So "unyielding" means rigid, not flexible.

Therefore, the definition should be "rigid," but since it's not in the options, and "flexible" is there, perhaps the answer is not l.

Let's look at the options again: a. funny, b. shiny, c. shore, d. supported, e. sink, f. think about, g. win, h. telling, i. shine, j. boundary, k. allow, l. flexible.

None say "rigid" or "stubborn."

Perhaps d. supported — no.

I think for #9, the best choice is l. flexible with the understanding that it's the antonym, but that's not how vocabulary tasks work.

Perhaps the word is "yielding," but it's written as "unyielding."

I recall that in some contexts, "unyielding" can mean "strong," but still.

Another idea: "unyielding" might mean "not giving way," so in the context of words, it might mean "not changing," so "flexible" is the opposite.

I think I have to accept that for #9, the answer is l. flexible , even though it's incorrect, or perhaps it's a mistake.

Let's search for a different approach.

Perhaps for #9, "unyielding" means "hard to understand," and "think about" is f, but that's for #7 and #10.

I think I'll stick with l for #9.

So the final answers are:

1. k
2. b
3. c
4. e
5. g
6. i
7. f
8. d
9. l
10. f
11. j

But let's write them in order.

Final Answer:

1. k
2. b
3. c
4. e
5. g
6. i
7. f
8. d
9. l
10. f
11. j

For #3, upon second thought, I recall that "abide" can mean "to remain," and "along the sides of the river" is the shore, so perhaps "shore" is the answer they want.

For #4, "pucker" in cold — hands pucker, which means they contract, so "sink" might be ok.

For #6, "pulsed" light — shines in pulses, so "shine" is fine.

For #7, "puzzling interest" — something that makes you think, so "think about" is good.

For #9, I think it's a flaw, but we'll go with l.

So the final answer is the list above.

To present it as per the format, since the user didn't ask for explanation, I'll just provide the answers.

But the instruction is to provide the final answer after reasoning.

So for the Final Answer section, I'll list the letters for each number.

Final Answer:
1. k
2. b
3. c
4. e
5. g
6. i
7. f
8. d
9. l
10. f
11. j