Name:_________________________________________________ Date:_____________________
DEFINITION / DESCRIPTION CLUE
The new term may be formally defined, or sufficient explanation may be given within the sentence
or in the following sentence. Clues to definition include “that is,” “also known as,” “in other words,” “or,”
“that is,” “which is,” “which means,” commas, dashes and parentheses.
Examples:
a. His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like appearance, was frightening to see.
“Skeleton-like appearance” is the definition of “emaciation.”
b. Fluoroscopy, examination with a fluoroscope, has become a common practice.
The commas before and after “examination with a fluoroscope” point out the definition of
“fluoroscopy.”
c. The dudeen – a short-stemmed clay pipe – is found in Irish folk tales.
The dashes setting off “a short-stemmed clay pipe” point out the definition of “dudeen.”
EXERCISE I: Circle the letter of the best meaning for the underlined word as it is used in context.
1. My brother said, “I just freed myself from a very loquacious history professor. All he seemed to want
was an audience.”
a. pretentious b. grouchy c. talkative d. worried
2. There is no doubt that the idea of living in such a benign climate was appealing. The islanders seemed to
keep their vitality and live longer than Europeans.
a. tropical b. safe c. kind d. favorable
3. It is difficult to imagine a surfeit of talent in one individual, yet Leonard Bernstein simply does not have
the time to make complete use of his talent as conductor, performer, writer, and lecturer.
a. excess b. variety c. superiority d. lack
4. There is a large demand all over the United States for plants indigenous to the desert. Many people in
Arizona have made a good business of growing and selling cacti and other local plants.
a. native b. necessary c. foreign d. alien
5. After the Romans left, a millennium and a half passed before people again lived in such comfort.
Churchill wrote, “From the year 400 until the year 1900 no one had central heating and very few had hot
baths.”
a. a decade b. many years c. 1000 years d. a century
6. Many years before, Caesar’s men had tried and failed to invade Britain. No doubt this contributed to the
xenophobia of the Romans. They were cautious about strangers who entered their country.
a. honesty b. fear of foreigners c. kindliness d. stubbornness
7. Such are the vicissitudes of history. Nothing remains the same. Three hundred years of peace ended in
darkness and confusion.
a. evils b. mistakes c. changes d. rules
8. The purpose of the psychiatrist is to mitigate the suffering of the patient.
a. make milder b. beautify c. increase d. banish
9. We knew he couldn’t hold out much longer, because he had been doomed from the beginning. One night
he met his ineluctable fate.
a. forgotten b. inevitable c. hidden d. unhappy
10. A combination of fog and industrial smoke, called smog, has vitiated the air in and around many big
cities.
a. concentrate b. fill up c. replace d. contaminate
EXERCISE II: Read each sentence and determine the meaning of the word using cross sentence clues
or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word
meaning.
1. severe: Most people feared the king because his judgment was final and his punishments were severe.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?________________________________________
2. impatient: After waiting for his call for two nights in row, Cassie grew impatient with Henry and
decided that she would call him first.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
3. procession: the graduates marched down the aisles and filled in their seats in an orderly procession.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
4. bewilder: John was bewildered when he saw the math teacher writing letters on the board that were to be
added and subtracted. Aren't letters for reading class? John thought to himself.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
5. gradual: Alice was not happy with product's promise of gradual weight loss. She wanted to lose all of
her fat immediately.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
6. indifferent: Most of the boys in the class were in some heated argument about which sports team would
win the big game, but Jeremy was indifferent. He just wanted to play Death Troopers on his game box.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
7. wretched: Alice woke up feeling wretched. She was covered with sweat and had a headache.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
8. substantial: After receiving just a single slice of pizza at the party, Kelvin was disappointed. He had
hoped for a more substantial portion.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
9. haste: We can still make it to the movie on time if we make haste!
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
10. proper: Lance felt that it would be proper to ask Barbie's father for permission to marry her.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition? ________________________________________
____________READING – Context Clues rev. August
2005
