Of Mice and Men
Vocabulary Practice
Chapter 1
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you
can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words
mean on the lines provided.
1. George stared morosely at the water.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. But Lennie made an elaborate pantomime of innocence.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Lennie hesitated, backed away, looked wildly at the brush line as though he contemplated running for his
freedom.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Lennie reluctantly reached into his pocket.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Lennie sat down on the ground and hung his head dejectedly.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. He took on the elaborate manner of little girls when they are mimicking one another.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7. He looked across the fire at Lennie's anguished face, and then he looked ashamedly at the flames.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
8. He looked across the fire at Lennie's anguished face, and then he looked ashamedly at the flames.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
9. George gestured with his spoon.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions
____ 1. Morosely
____ 2. Pantomime
____ 3. Contemplated
____ 4. Reluctantly
____ 5. Dejectedly
____ 6. Mimicking
____ 7. Anguished
____ 8. Ashamedly
____ 9. Gestured
A. Glumly; gloomily
B. Considered thoughtfully
C. Made a motion to express a thought or to emphasize speech
D. Showing an agonizing physical or mental pain
E. Acting that consists mostly of gesture, no speech
F. Unwillingly; hesitantly
G. Sadly; depressed or disheartened
H. Imitating
I. Showing a feeling of guilt
Of Mice and Men
Vocabulary Practice
Chapter 2
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you
can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words
mean on the lines provided.
1. "I ain't so sure," said George skeptically.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. "Damn right he don't," said George, slightly mollified, "not if he wants to stay
workin' long."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. He said ominously, "Well, he better watch out for Lennie."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. He had drawn a derogatory statement from George.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. "I don't want no trouble," he said plaintively.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. His face contorted with thought.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7. She was suddenly apprehensive.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
8. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Lennie, who had been following the conversation back and forth with his eyes, smiled complacently at the
compliment.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him, and then the two of them went out the door.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions
____ 1. Skeptically
____ 2. mollified
____ 3. Ominously
____ 4. Derogatory
____ 5. Plaintively
____ 6. Contorted
____ 7. Apprehensive
____ 8. Profound
____ 9. Complacently
____ 10. Precede
A. Uneasy; anxious
B. Complete; coming from the depths of one's being
C. Pacified; calmed
D. Go before
E. In a self-satisfied manner
F. With foreboding; threatening
G. Mournfully; sorrowfully
H. Showing doubt or disbelief; questioningly
I. Twisted out of shape
J. Detracting or disparaging
Of Mice and Men
Vocabulary Practice
Chapter 3
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you
can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words
mean on the lines provided.
1. He reached down and picked the tiny puppy from where Lennie had been concealing it against his stomach.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Slim gazed at him for a moment and then looked down at his hands; he subdued one hand with the other, and
held it down.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Whit laid down his cards impressively.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. He subsided, grumbling to himself, threatening the future cats which might dare to disturb future rabbits.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. George sat entranced with his own picture.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. When Candy spoke they both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7. They all sat still, all bemused by the beauty of the thing, each mind was popped into the future when this
lovely thing should come about.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions
____ 1. Concealing
____ 2. Subdued
____ 3. Impressively
____ 4. Subsided
____ 5. Entranced
____ 6. Reprehensible
____ 7. Bemused
A. Put into deep thought
B. Worthy of blame; deserving censure
C. To quiet or bring under control by physical force
D. Hiding
E. Commanding attention; making a strong impression
F. Settled down
G. Fascinated
Of Mice and Men
Vocabulary Practice
Chapter 4
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you
can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words
mean on the lines provided.
1. And he had books, too; a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In the stable buck's room a small electric globe threw a meager yellow light.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Crooks scowled, but Lennie's disarming smile defeated him.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. His voice grew soft and persuasive.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. She paused and her face lost its sullenness and grew interested.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. "Awright," she said contemptuously.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
7. She was breathless with indignation.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
8. She appraised him coolly.
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions
____ 1. Mauled
____ 2. Meager
____ 3. Disarming
____ 4. Persuasive
____ 5. Sullenness
____ 6. Contemptuously
____ 7. Indignation
____ 8. Appraised
A. Deficient in quantity; scant
B. With a feeling of contempt; scornfully
C. Handled roughly; beaten up
D. Evaluated
E. An anger aroused by something unjust, mean, or unworthy
F. A brooding ill humor or resentment
G. Depriving of weapons; rendering helpless
H. Convincing
Of Mice and Men
Vocabulary Practice
Chapter 5 & 6
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you
can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words
mean on the lines provided.
1. She consoled him. "Don't you worry none. He was jus'a mutt. You can get another one easy."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. And because she had confided in him, she moved closer to Lennie and sat beside him.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Her feet battered on the hay and she writhed to be free; and from under Lennie's hand came a muffled
screaming.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. For a moment he seemed bewildered.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. "Then--it's all off?" Candy asked sulkily.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. He sniveled, and his voice shook.
7. Now Lennie retorted belligerently, "He ain't neither."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Now Lennie retorted belligerently, "He ain't neither."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
9. His voice was monotonous, had no emphasis.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering.
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions
____ 1. Consoled
____ 2. Confided
____ 3. Writhed
____ 4. Bewildered
____ 5. Sulkily
____ 6. Sniveled
____ 7. Retorted
____ 8. Belligerently
____ 9. Monotonous
____ 10. Quivering
A. Trembling
B. Told private matters not intended to be publicly known
C. Hostilely; aggressively
D. Confused; befuddled
E. Sharply replied
F. Twisted; wiggled
G. Marked by or given to sulking; gloomy or dull
H. Unvarying the vocal tone or pitch
I. Cried or wept with sniffling
J. Comforted