Year 5 Vocabulary Worksheet - Intermediate

Year 5 Vocabulary worksheet for Year 5 (Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)). Intermediate level english practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

English•Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)•Vocabularyintermediate

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Word Detectives: Roots and Figurative Language

Year 5 | Ages 9–10 | Intermediate

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Instructions: Explore how Latin and Greek roots help us understand unfamiliar words, then investigate how writers use figurative language. Read each example carefully and write your answers in the boxes; use the context and the clues in each word to explain your thinking.

Root Clues: Latin and Greek

Use the root meanings to work out what each word means. The roots are shown below to help you, but use the whole word to choose the best meaning. Write a short definition in each box.

Root bank: Latin port = carry; Latin spect = look; Latin dict = say; Greek graph = write or draw; Greek phon = sound; Greek bio = life

1. A portable speaker can be carried from place to place. What does portable mean?

2. A spectator watched the match from the stands. What is a spectator?

3. A dictionary gives the meanings of words. What information does a dictionary provide?

4. A biography tells the story of a person’s life. What does biography mean?

5. A telephone carries a person’s voice over a distance. What does the Greek root phon suggest?

Build and Explain Root Words

Combine the root and ending in each item to identify the vocabulary word. Then use its root meaning to explain the word. Write the complete word and a brief explanation in the box.

Root bank: Latin spect = look; Latin port = carry; Greek graph = write or draw; Greek phon = sound; Greek bio = life

1. spect + acle — a public show that people look at:

2. port + able — able to be carried:

3. graph + ic — relating to writing, drawing or images:

4. phon + ic — relating to the sounds of speech:

5. bio + logy — the study of life:

Figurative or Literal?

Decide whether each sentence uses its key phrase literally or figuratively. If it is figurative, name the language feature: simile, metaphor or personification. Write your answer in each box.

1. The classroom was a beehive of activity.

2. The wind whispered through the trees.

3. Her smile was as bright as the morning sun.

4. The puppy slept on the mat.

5. The old house groaned in the storm.

Meaning in Context

Write your answer in the box below.

Choose the Most Precise Word

Choose the word that best completes each sentence. Use the Latin or Greek root clue to help you, then select one option. The answer key gives the exact correct word.

1. A person who watches an event is a _____.

2. A book about someone’s life is a _____.

3. A device that can be carried easily is _____.

4. The study of living things is called _____.

5. A reference book that explains word meanings is a _____.

Write with Figurative Language

Write your answer in the box below.

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. Able to be carried; 2. A person who watches; 3. The meanings of words; 4. The story or account of a person’s life; 5. Sound

Activity 2: 1. Spectacle; 2. Portable; 3. Graphic; 4. Phonic; 5. Biology

Activity 3: 1. Metaphor; 2. Personification; 3. Simile; 4. Literal; 5. Personification

Activity 4: 1. They felt very happy or excited; 2. It was very easy; 3. He felt uncomfortable or out of place; 4. A very large crowd of people; 5. His arms felt weak or unsteady

Activity 5: 1. spectator; 2. biography; 3. portable; 4. biology; 5. dictionary

Activity 6: Answers will vary. Check that each response is an original sentence and uses the requested figurative feature correctly.