Vocabulary Words Fifth Graders Should Know

What Are the Standards for Fifth Grade Vocabulary?

Fifth graders expand their vocabulary by looking at context to define both unfamiliar words and figurative language. Students can also understand or clarify word meaning by using dictionaries and other references. In fifth grade, your child will learn to use Latin and Greek affixes and roots, recognize idioms and identify slight differences in meaning among related words. Use the following quizzes to reinforce the vocabulary terms that your fifth grader should know.

Vocabulary Quizzes for Fifth Graders

Find the Word that Fits

Choose a word from the list below that best fits into each of the following sentences. For an extra challenge, write the part of speech after each sentence.

bravery

gait

edible

silvery

absurd

wilderness

poverty

continental

nonchalant

sluggish

1. I'm not sure we should go camping in the ----, because I'm afraid of bears.
2. Ever since he broke his ankle, he's been walking with a funny ----.
3. Mom feels very ---- without her morning cup of coffee.
4. This voucher from the airline is only good for travel in the ---- U.S.
5. He demonstrated true ---- during the war when he crawled through the line of fire to help his injured friend.
6. Your story about alien abduction is completely ----.
7. I'm surprised how ---- you are about failing the history test.
8. The full moon cast everything in a ---- glow.
9. We're donating food, money and clothing to some local families who have been living in ----.
10. Are you sure those mushrooms you picked are ---- and not poisonous?

Match Words to Their Definitions

Match the words below with their definitions by writing their corresponding letters in the blanks. After each definition, write the part of speech.

A. boisterous

B. germinate

C. persuasive

D. feeble

E. bungle

F. chronological

G. geographer

H. moral

I. astound

J. deafening

K. motive

L. saunter

1. ---- To complete a task incompletely or awkwardly with unsatisfactory results.
2. ---- The reason or incentive for carrying out a particular action.
3. ---- To develop or sprout from a bulb, spore or seed.
4. ---- To walk in a leisurely or casual way.
5. ---- One who studies the surface of the earth.
6. ---- Unrestrained, lively, rowdy and noisy.