Reading Context Clues

The invention of the light bulb in 1879 helped illuminate houses across the world. It became much easier to read after sunset. The word illuminate means:

• darken with shades

• remove odors

• brighten with light

Many people crave all sorts of candy. Some will even walk miles for their favorite variety. The word crave means:

• to have a strong desire for

• to have a strong feeling of anger

• to have a feeling of sadness

Some people can't seem to resist the buttery aroma of fresh popcorn. The movie theater owners have made plenty of money from this reality. The word aroma means:

• cost

• smell

• color

Teachers do not allow horseplay in the classroom because it often escalates to a larger distraction. The word escalates means:

• become harmless

• becomes more severe

• become less severe

Annie was nervous to give her speech. When she got on stage her legs began to tremble. The word tremble means:

• twist

• jiggle

• shake

The old barn was falling down. William's father decided to demolish it so he could build a brand new barn in its place. The word demolish means:

• destroyed

• repaired

• remodeled

We bought excess food for the party, so please take some leftover food with you before you leave. The word excess means:

• not enough

• more than what is needed

• just enough

Even though Brandon was given the lead role in a play, he decided to turn it down. He was a coward and too scared to perform in front of an audience. The word coward means"

• one who is fearless

• one who dislikes acting

• one who is not brave

Mrs. McDonald asked, "Can I see you for a brief moment? I promise it won't take long." The word brief means:

• quick

• extended time

• delayed

The purpose of advertisements is to convince people to spend money on something they probably don't need. The word convince means:

• hypnotize

• trick

• persuade