NAME______________________________________
DATE________________
“Mrs. Flowers” Vocabulary
DIRECTIONS: Before you read the following short story, you must learn vocabulary words to aid in your
comprehension of the text.
Use the context clues in the sentences below to help you define each word.
1. Taut
“She was thin without the taut look of wiry people.”
I think the word taut means: ____________________________________________________________
The definition of the word taut, as it is being used in the story, is:______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. Voile
“…her printed voile dresses and flowered hats were as right for her as denim overalls for a farmer.”
I think the word voile means: ___________________________________________________________
The definition of the word voile, as it is being used in the story, is:______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Benign
“When she chose to smile on me, I always wanted to thank her. The action was so graceful and…benign”
I think the word benign means: _________________________________________________________
The definition of the word benign, as it is being used in the story, is:____________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Aura
“The essence [of those visits with Mrs. Flowers] escapes but its aura remains.”
I think the word aura means: ___________________________________________________________
The definition of the word aura, as it is being used in the story, is:______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. Wormwood
“[It] was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Beowulf [heroic
fictional character] or a hot cup of tea with Oliver Twist [fictional character who endures many
hardships].”
I think wormwood means:______________________________________________________________
The definition of the word wormwood, as it is being used in the story, is:________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
NAME______________________________________
DATE________________
DIRECTIONS: Complete the following analogies using the words from the word bank. Also describe the
relationship between the words.
WORD BANK
illiteracy
intolerant
benign
taut
infuse
Type of word relationships are:
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

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

Synonym (happy : joyful :: sad : depressed)
Antonym (inflation : deflation :: frail : strong)
Characteristic (tropical : hot :: polar : cold)
Part/Whole (finger : hand :: petal : flower)
Degree (mist : fog :: drizzle : tropical storm)
Type (golden retriever : dog :: salmon : fish)
Tool/Worker (pen : writer :: voice : singer)
Action/Object (fly : airplane :: drive : car)
Item/Purpose (knife : cut :: ruler : measure)
Product/Worker (poet : poem :: baker : pie)
1. Loose is to tight as slack is to _____________________________.
Q: What is the word relationship between loose and tight?
A: The words are antonyms (opposites).
2. Mild is to gentle as kind is to ______________________________.
Q: What is the word relationship between mild and gentle?
A: ______________________________________________
3. Empty is to vacate as fill is to ______________________________.
Q: What is the word relationship between empty and vacate?
A: ______________________________________________
4. Restless is to patient as accepting is to ______________________________.
Q: What is the word relationship between restless and patient?
A: ______________________________________________
5. Sleep is to exhaustion as education is to ______________________________.
Q: What is the word relationship between sleep and exhaustion?
A: ______________________________________________