USING CONTEXT CLUES Figuring Out What Words Mean:

What do you do when you are reading, and you come across a word you don't know?

What started out as a little rain began to turn into a big problem.The sky began to turn dark green, and lightning and thunder started crashing all around the mountains.The wind was fiercely tearing at the leaves in the trees so hard that branches started to crack and fall.Then the rain turned to hail. That’s when the boys knew they had to find better shelter from the storm.

Roughly? Angrily? Violently?

What started out as a little rain began to turn into a big problem. The sky began to turn dark green, and lightning and thunder started crashing all around the mountains. The wind was fiercely tearing at the leaves in the trees so hard that branches started to crack and fall. Then the rain turned to hail. That’s when the boys knew they had to find better shelter from the storm. Roughly? Angrily? Violently?

What started out as a little rain began to turn into a big problem. The sky began to turn dark green, and lightning and thunder started crashing all around the mountains. The wind was fiercely tearing at the leaves in the trees so hard that branches started to crack and fall. Then the rain turned to hail. That’s when the boys knew they had to find better shelter from the storm. Roughly? Angrily? Violently?

Most of the time, unfortunately, the reader must simply depend upon background knowledge to make inferences about the meaning of an unusual word. For example: The soup had a color and a smell that was very appetizing to the hungry children. There was glass all over the street, and the children could not ride their bike through it without getting a punctured tire. Hint: Read to the end of the paragraph, then come back and try to think of another word that you know that would make sense instead of the unknown word.

 -ed & -ing = usually a verb (walked; walking)  -ly = usually an adverb (slowly).  un- = usually the opposite (undress)

The men began to dismantle the camp, taking everything apart and putting it in their backpacks.

Multiple Meaning Words are words that have several meanings depending upon how they are used in a sentence. Mrs. Jones remained cool and collected even when angry. Cool 1. somewhat cold 2. not excited, calm 3. to make or become cool 4. informal Which definition best fits the meaning of cool as it is used in the sentence? A. Meaning 1C. Meaning 3 B. Meaning 2D. Meaning 4

Alicia knew the restaurant was expensive because there were a dozen knives, forks, and other utensils next to her plate.

The old man couldn’t walk in a straight line. He kept staggering around and bumping into things.

Most of the computers work just fine, but this one is defective.

I’ve tried everything, but that obstinate cat just will not come down out of that tree!

Three days ago, there were only a few children sick, but now there is an epidemic in the school.

After the dinosaur died, it was covered with mud, which was the most important step in the process of fossilization.

That kid is real menace.He gets into fights, he knocks things over, he never does what the teacher tells him to do.

Whenever you come across a word you don't know, do your best to figure it out?