Context clues let a reader work out an unfamiliar word from the sentence around it, instead of reaching for a dictionary and breaking reading flow. This worksheet teaches the four main clue types – definition, synonym, contrast and example – then applies them to a genuinely engaging B1 text about why the brain finds a mystery so hard to ignore.
This is the first worksheet in a new Reading Skills mini-block, built specifically for ESL/EFL learners rather than native-speaker grade levels.
What’s inside:
- A reference panel covering all four context-clue types with signal words and examples
- A 400-word carrier text with ten bolded target words, each genuinely supported by a context clue
- Comprehension check (True/False/Not Mentioned)
- Matching exercise: word to meaning
- Clue-type identification exercise
- Gap-fill production task
- Discussion questions
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes
Common challenges: learners often reach for a dictionary mid-sentence out of habit, which this worksheet is designed to interrupt by modelling the reasoning explicitly before asking students to try it alone.
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1, in intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study. Part of a new Reading Comprehension series – the next worksheets in the block cover Making Inferences and Fact vs. Opinion.