Context Clues for Meaning | High School Worksheets - Free Printable

Sure! Let’s go through each question one by one, using context clues to determine the best meaning for the underlined word. Context clues are hints from surrounding words or sentences that help us understand the meaning of an unfamiliar or tricky word.

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1. The generous people fed the emaciated lost dog.

- Context: “Generous people” are helping a lost dog — likely because it’s in bad shape.
- “Emaciated” means extremely thin, often due to starvation or illness.
- Options:
A. fierce → no, not about aggression
B. calm → not relevant
C. thin → ✔ yes, matches “emaciated”
D. tame → opposite of wild, not related to physical state

✔ Answer: C. thin

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2. She invariably leaves her homework at home and must turn it in late.

- Context: She *always* forgets it — so “invariably” means without exception.
- Options:
A. purposefully → implies intention — not necessarily true
B. hated → emotion, not frequency
C. happily → emotion, irrelevant
D. always → ✔ perfect match for “invariably”

✔ Answer: D. always

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3. The mother bathed the baby in the tepid water.

- Context: Bathing a baby — you wouldn’t use hot or cold water; it should be温和 (mild).
- “Tepid” means lukewarm — not too hot, not too cold.
- Options:
A. lukewarm → ✔ exact match
B. hot → too extreme
C. muddy → dirty, not temperature
D. cold → too extreme

✔ Answer: A. lukewarm

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4. The car collector bought the vintage Ford Mustang.

- Context: Car collector → likely buying an old, classic car.
- “Vintage” refers to something old, classic, or from a past era — especially used for wine, cars, clothing.
- Options:
A. rose colored → color, not age
B. broken down → negative, not implied
C. real → vague, doesn’t fit
D. classic → ✔ yes, synonymous with vintage in this context

✔ Answer: D. classic

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5. The slimy boy never cleaned his room or washed his hands.

- Context: Dirty habits → “slimy” is being used figuratively to mean messy or gross.
- But note: “slimy” literally means covered in slime — slippery, wet, unpleasant.
- However, among options, none directly mean “dirty,” but let’s think:
- “Slippery” can be literal (slime) OR figurative (untrustworthy). But here, the behavior suggests laziness or dirtiness.
- Actually, “slimy” is more about being gross or unclean — but option B. sloppy fits best: careless, messy, untidy.
- “Sloppy” matches the behavior described: not cleaning room or washing hands.

✔ Answer: B. sloppy

*(Note: “slimy” isn’t typically synonymous with “sloppy,” but in this context, it’s being used metaphorically to describe a messy, unkempt person — so “sloppy” is the closest behavioral match.)*

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6. The policeman arrested the speeder for flagrantly disobeying the speed limit.

- Context: Arrested → serious violation. “Flagrantly” means openly, shamelessly, blatantly.
- So, the person was obviously breaking the law.
- Options:
A. joyfully → emotion, not relevance
B. cautiously → opposite!
C. obviously → ✔ yes — flagrant = obvious, blatant
D. sadly → emotion, irrelevant

✔ Answer: C. obviously

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7. The city council concurred with the excellent recommendations of the library committee.

- Context: They agreed with good recommendations.
- “Concurred” means agreed or was in harmony with.
- Options:
A. agreed → ✔ direct synonym
B. rejected → opposite
C. argued → conflict, not agreement
D. napped → nonsense

✔ Answer: A. agreed

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8. A man of few words, he is known for his laconic.

- Context: “Man of few words” → speaks little, concise.
- “Laconic” means using very few words; terse.
- Options:
A. briefness → ✔ yes — laconic = brief speech
B. athleticism → physical ability, not relevant
C. laughter → emotion, not related
D. skills → too broad

✔ Answer: A. briefness

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## ✔ Final Answers:

1. C. thin
2. D. always
3. A. lukewarm
4. D. classic
5. B. sloppy
6. C. obviously
7. A. agreed
8. A. briefness

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