Dictionary and thesaurus skills

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Dictionary entry

   Thesaurus: thin (adjective)
   slender: narrow and graceful (often used for dancers or stems).
   lean: fit, with little body fat (often used for athletes).
   skinny: very thin (informal; can sound unkind).
   scrawny: thin and weak-looking (negative).
   gaunt: thin and worn, as if from illness or hunger (negative).

2. 1.

   Esme is writing a sports article that praises a marathon runner's build with respect. Which word from the thesaurus entry fits best?

   • slender
   • lean
   • skinny
   • gaunt

3. Dictionary entry

   Thesaurus: stubborn (adjective)
   determined: firmly decided to do something (positive; shows strong will).
   obstinate: refusing to change one's mind (negative; formal).
   pigheaded: stubborn in a foolish way (negative; informal and rude).
   unyielding: not giving way (neutral; often used for rules or materials).

4. 2.

   Ari is writing a letter that recommends a classmate who kept practicing the violin after many mistakes. Which word fits best?

   • unyielding
   • obstinate
   • pigheaded
   • determined

5. Dictionary entry

   Thesaurus: cheap (adjective)
   inexpensive: low in price (neutral; describes things).
   cheap: low in price, but may suggest poor quality (describing a person, it is an insult).
   frugal: careful with money (positive).
   stingy: unwilling to spend or share (negative).

6. 3.

   Noah is writing about a shopkeeper who saves money carefully and is admired for it. Which word fits best?

   • cheap
   • stingy
   • inexpensive
   • frugal

7. Dictionary entry

   Thesaurus: famous (adjective)
   noted: well known and respected (positive).
   renowned: widely known for a great achievement (formal; positive).
   notorious: widely known for something bad (negative).
   celebrated: publicly praised and honored (positive).

8. 4.

   Tala is writing a history report on an outlaw widely known for robbing trains. Which word shows he was known for something bad?

   • renowned
   • celebrated
   • notorious
   • noted

9. Dictionary entry

   Sharp (SHARP)
   adjective 1 having a fine edge or point.
   adjective 2 sudden and strong (a sharp turn).
   adjective 3 quick to notice or understand (a sharp mind).
   adjective 4 clear and distinct (a sharp image).

10. 5.

    Zee replaces sharp in “The sharp student spotted the error at once.” Which replacement keeps the meaning?

    • clear
    • sudden
    • clever
    • pointed

11. Dictionary entry

    Dry (DRY)
    adjective 1 not wet.
    adjective 2 without rain (a dry spell).
    adjective 3 plain and dull (a dry lecture).
    adjective 4 funny in a quiet, serious-faced way (dry wit).

12. 6.

    Jun replaces dry in “The speaker's dry humor made the audience smile without a single joke.” Which replacement keeps the meaning?

    • rainless
    • parched
    • deadpan
    • boring

13. Dictionary entry

    Raw (RAW)
    adjective 1 not cooked.
    adjective 2 not processed or refined (raw materials).
    adjective 3 sore and red (a raw scrape).
    adjective 4 untrained or unpolished (raw talent).

14. 7.

    Bo replaces raw in “The factory ships raw cotton to the mill.” Which replacement keeps the meaning?

    • uncooked
    • untrained
    • sore
    • unprocessed

15. Dictionary entry

    Firm (FURM)
    adjective 1 solid; not soft.
    adjective 2 steady; not changing (a firm decision).
    adjective 3 strict (a firm teacher).
    noun 4 a business or company.

16. 8.

    Kira replaces firm in “The council made a firm decision to keep the library open.” Which replacement keeps the meaning?

    • strict
    • company
    • hard
    • settled

17. Dictionary entry

    Subject (SUB-jikt)
    noun 1 the topic of a talk or text. noun 2 a school course.
    adjective 3 likely to be affected by something (usually followed by to).
    subject (sub-JEKT)
    verb to cause to experience.

18. 9.

    Luz reads: “The bridge is subject to heavy winds in storms.” Which choice gives the right pronunciation, part of speech and meaning?

    • SUB-jikt, an adjective meaning likely to be affected
    • SUB-jikt, a noun meaning a topic
    • sub-JEKT, an adjective meaning likely to be affected
    • sub-JEKT, a verb meaning to cause to experience
19. 10.

    Minute (MIN-it) noun a unit of time equal to 60 seconds. minute (my-NOOT) adjective very small. Ren reads: “The scientist found minute traces of dust on the lens.” Which choice gives the right pronunciation, part of speech and meaning?

    • my-NOOT, an adjective meaning very small
    • my-NOOT, a noun meaning sixty seconds
    • MIN-it, an adjective meaning very small
    • MIN-it, a noun meaning sixty seconds