Let’s go through each question one by one. We’ll use context clues — that means looking at the rest of the sentence to figure out what the underlined word probably means.
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1. The beaver gnawed on the branch before dragging it into the pond.
Beavers are known for chewing wood to build dams or eat. “Gnawed” must mean something like chewing.
→ A. sat → doesn’t fit
→ B. chewed → yes, makes sense
→ C. pushed → not quite right; they drag after gnawing
✔ Answer:
B
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2. The delightful aroma of food cooking in the kitchen made my mouth water.
“Made my mouth water” = hungry because of smell. So “aroma” is about smell.
→ A. smell → perfect
→ B. color → no, you don’t taste with eyes
→ C. wealth → irrelevant
✔ Answer:
A
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3. The late students always had a plethora of excuses.
“Always had” suggests they have LOTS of excuses. “Plethora” = too many, excessive number.
→ A. shortage → opposite
→ B. none → wrong
→ C. excessive number → yes!
✔ Answer:
C
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4. The mood was somber at the funeral of the former Prime Minister.
Funerals are sad and serious events. “Somber” matches that tone.
→ A. hungry → no
→ B. serious → yes
→ C. shyly → not really about personality here
✔ Answer:
B
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5. When he didn’t understand the instruction, the student asked the teacher to clarify them.
If you don’t understand, you ask someone to explain better. “Clarify” = make clear → explain.
→ A. remove → no
→ B. call → not helpful
→ C. explain → yes
✔ Answer:
C
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6. The scared rock climber balanced precariously on the edge of the cliff.
“Scared” + “edge of the cliff” = dangerous situation. “Precariously” = dangerously unsteady.
→ A. dangerously → fits
→ B. hopefully → no, he’s scared
→ C. gracefully → maybe, but not the main point
✔ Answer:
A
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7. The frigid water made Aydan’s teeth chatter.
Teeth chattering happens when you’re very cold. “Frigid” = extremely cold.
→ A. cold → yes
→ B. clean → unrelated
→ C. warm → opposite
✔ Answer:
A
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8. Instead of a grimace, Levon had a big smile across his face.
“Instead of” shows contrast. Smile is happy → so grimace must be unhappy/frown.
→ A. grin → same as smile → no
→ B. frown → yes, opposite of smile
→ C. mask → not related to facial expression emotion
✔ Answer:
B
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Final Answer:
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. A
7. A
8. B
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of teaching context clues worksheet.
